Té Russ's Blog, page 2
February 23, 2020
#SampleSunday-You Belong to Me
*Unedited, subject to change*
Karen and Silas rode the elevator back up to Silas’s apartment in silence. He unlocked the door and let her enter first. She turned as he shut the door.“Silas–”“No.”“But–”“Karen, I’m not letting you do this.”One of her eyebrows raised in defiance. “You’re...not letting me? You’re not letting me.”“It’s my job to look after you.”“A job I didn’t ask you to do!”“You know why I’m doing this.”“I’m not sure that I do,� Karen said, crossing her arms over her chest. “Because you told me that we couldn’t get involved with each other because it was too dangerous because of your past. Well I was in danger last night and it had nothing to do with you. So why are you still doing this? Why not just...pass me off to someone else.”“That’s not happening.”“Why?”“Karen–”�Why?� Karen screamed.They stood there staring at each other and when Silas didn’t speak, Karen turned and went to her room. She could hear Silas behind her as she dug through her purse.“What are you doing?� she heard him ask.“What’s your rate?”“What?”She turned to face him, with her checkbook in her hand.“What’s. Your. Rate? Because I can’t possibly let you do ‘your job� and not let you get paid.� She scribbled an amount onto the check, ripped it out and shoved it into his chest. “That should cover it.”“I’m not taking your money, Karen,� Silas said, ripping up the check.“Then tell me why you feel so fucking obligated to protect me, when you’ve made it abundantly clear that you don’t want me.”“You know that’s not true.”“I don’t know shit!� She stood there staring at him, her chest heaving. “That night we spent together. You said you were tired of resisting this...resisting me. But before the sun was even up the next morning you pushed me away again.”“I told you why.”“Yet as soon as there was hint of danger, you were right there. You could have let Boomer assign someone else to do the job. But you didn’t. Tell me why,� she demanded.
“Because I need to make sure you’re safe! And I’m not about to leave that in any else’s hands but my own,� he growled, closing the distance between them. He cupped the back of her head. “Because despite everything I said that morning after we made love...despite how hard I’ve tried to fight it since that night we were together, I haven’t been able to sever the connection we created. Because no matter how much I’ve tried to deny it, you belong to me.”And then he crushed his mouth over hers.
February 2, 2020
Sample Sunday-I’m no good for you, Doc...
Unedited, subject to change.
“I told you that you didn’t have to stay.”Silas looked up and found Karen staring at him.Thirty minutes had gone by since they’d arrived.“Wow,� he said as he stood and looked at the bedroom. Karen had set it up beautifully for Boomer and Trish to enjoy their first night as husband and wife. “This is real nice, Doc.”“Thanks. I’m gonna head out now. I’m sure Amanda is waiting to meet up with you...somewhere more private.”“I highly doubt that,� Silas said, watching as Karen walked right past the car towards the path along the beach that led back to the main resort where the reception was being held. “I’ll drive us back.”“I’d rather walk.”“That’s not happening,� Silas said. “I’m not letting you walk out here and night alone.”“I’m fine, Silas,� Karen griped. “I’m not your client anymore. I’m not...anything to you.”“What does that mean?”“I was so stupid,� she huffed, more to herself than him. “Letting Trish get in my head about what happened last year.”“What happened last year?� Silas repeated.“Between us.”“But nothing happened between us last year.”Karen whirled around to face him so fast he had to take a step back.�Exactly!� she exclaimed. “Nothing happened. But somehow I let myself believe that maybe, just maybe there was this attraction between us. And we weren’t acting on it because I was your client and it was just your job to protect me. But then the job ended...and nothing! So, I figured that was just a figment of my imagination because it was a highly emotional time.”“Karen–”“And then we got here and I let my sister get in my head about there being a thing between us...a vibe...”“A vibe?”“But then Amanda...� Karen finally paused and took a breath and shook her head. “I have to go.”Karen turned to leave, but Silas reached out and wrapped his hand around her wrist.Her skin was felt so damn soft.Silas felt the way she slightly trembled when he gently squeezed her a little tighter. His pulse began to speed up as she turned back towards him. Her gaze went to his hand on her wrist and then slowly trekked its way up to his face.Silas wasn’t a man who was surprised by many things.But when Karen suddenly closed the distance between them and pressed her lips against his, he was definitely taken by surprise for the first time in a long time.
Karen tore her mouth away from Silas on a gasp and covered her lips.They stood in silence for a moment before she spoke. “I–that was out of line. I’m sor–”Before she could finish apologizing, Silas yanked her back against his body and kissed her again. This time she sank into his body, letting her arms snake up and wrap around his neck while his hand went to grip her waist as his tongue dove into her mouth.It wasn’t until she let out a little moan that they broke off the kiss.Keeping his hands on her waist, Silas let his forehead drop to down press against Karen’s.“You weren’t just imagining things,� he whispered. Squeezing his eyes shut, he added, “That’s why I’ve been trying to avoid you as much as possible over the last year.”“What?� Karen asked, confused. “Why?”Silas finally released her and ran a hand over his head.She could tell he was struggling with something.“Because this...shouldn’t happen.”“Why?� she asked again.“I’m no good for you, Doc,� Silas said.“What do you mean you’re no good for me?”“My life...my job. It’s not as bad as it used to be, but it can still get dangerous. You know that, Karen. You’ve seen it first-hand.”“You don’t have to remind me,� Karen said. “I was the one who climbed on top of you on your stretcher to make sure you didn’t bleed out as the paramedics rushed you to the ambulance. The one who got your heart beating again when it stopped.”“I know that.”“I’m completely aware of how dangerous your job can get.”“And you’re aware of how this line of work can affect a relationship. Look at the toll it took on Boomer and Trish.”“Yet, here were are,� Karen said, splaying her arms out wide. “At their fucking wedding. What else ya got?”“You wouldn’t be able to handle it, Karen.”�You don’t get to decide that for me, Silas!� Karen shouted.She ran her hands through her hair and turned away from him, trying to process everything she’d just discovered. She stared out at the beach for several moments, before turning back to him. “We should get back to the reception to make sure we see Boomer and Trish off.”“Karen–”“I...I don’t know what you want from me, Silas. You made it clear that even though there is obviously something between us, you’re too much of a coward to act on it. So just...take me back to the reception,� she said, brushing past him to head back to the car.
“I told you that you didn’t have to stay.”Silas looked up and found Karen staring at him.Thirty minutes had gone by since they’d arrived.“Wow,� he said as he stood and looked at the bedroom. Karen had set it up beautifully for Boomer and Trish to enjoy their first night as husband and wife. “This is real nice, Doc.”“Thanks. I’m gonna head out now. I’m sure Amanda is waiting to meet up with you...somewhere more private.”“I highly doubt that,� Silas said, watching as Karen walked right past the car towards the path along the beach that led back to the main resort where the reception was being held. “I’ll drive us back.”“I’d rather walk.”“That’s not happening,� Silas said. “I’m not letting you walk out here and night alone.”“I’m fine, Silas,� Karen griped. “I’m not your client anymore. I’m not...anything to you.”“What does that mean?”“I was so stupid,� she huffed, more to herself than him. “Letting Trish get in my head about what happened last year.”“What happened last year?� Silas repeated.“Between us.”“But nothing happened between us last year.”Karen whirled around to face him so fast he had to take a step back.�Exactly!� she exclaimed. “Nothing happened. But somehow I let myself believe that maybe, just maybe there was this attraction between us. And we weren’t acting on it because I was your client and it was just your job to protect me. But then the job ended...and nothing! So, I figured that was just a figment of my imagination because it was a highly emotional time.”“Karen–”“And then we got here and I let my sister get in my head about there being a thing between us...a vibe...”“A vibe?”“But then Amanda...� Karen finally paused and took a breath and shook her head. “I have to go.”Karen turned to leave, but Silas reached out and wrapped his hand around her wrist.Her skin was felt so damn soft.Silas felt the way she slightly trembled when he gently squeezed her a little tighter. His pulse began to speed up as she turned back towards him. Her gaze went to his hand on her wrist and then slowly trekked its way up to his face.Silas wasn’t a man who was surprised by many things.But when Karen suddenly closed the distance between them and pressed her lips against his, he was definitely taken by surprise for the first time in a long time.
Karen tore her mouth away from Silas on a gasp and covered her lips.They stood in silence for a moment before she spoke. “I–that was out of line. I’m sor–”Before she could finish apologizing, Silas yanked her back against his body and kissed her again. This time she sank into his body, letting her arms snake up and wrap around his neck while his hand went to grip her waist as his tongue dove into her mouth.It wasn’t until she let out a little moan that they broke off the kiss.Keeping his hands on her waist, Silas let his forehead drop to down press against Karen’s.“You weren’t just imagining things,� he whispered. Squeezing his eyes shut, he added, “That’s why I’ve been trying to avoid you as much as possible over the last year.”“What?� Karen asked, confused. “Why?”Silas finally released her and ran a hand over his head.She could tell he was struggling with something.“Because this...shouldn’t happen.”“Why?� she asked again.“I’m no good for you, Doc,� Silas said.“What do you mean you’re no good for me?”“My life...my job. It’s not as bad as it used to be, but it can still get dangerous. You know that, Karen. You’ve seen it first-hand.”“You don’t have to remind me,� Karen said. “I was the one who climbed on top of you on your stretcher to make sure you didn’t bleed out as the paramedics rushed you to the ambulance. The one who got your heart beating again when it stopped.”“I know that.”“I’m completely aware of how dangerous your job can get.”“And you’re aware of how this line of work can affect a relationship. Look at the toll it took on Boomer and Trish.”“Yet, here were are,� Karen said, splaying her arms out wide. “At their fucking wedding. What else ya got?”“You wouldn’t be able to handle it, Karen.”�You don’t get to decide that for me, Silas!� Karen shouted.She ran her hands through her hair and turned away from him, trying to process everything she’d just discovered. She stared out at the beach for several moments, before turning back to him. “We should get back to the reception to make sure we see Boomer and Trish off.”“Karen–”“I...I don’t know what you want from me, Silas. You made it clear that even though there is obviously something between us, you’re too much of a coward to act on it. So just...take me back to the reception,� she said, brushing past him to head back to the car.
January 19, 2020
#Sample Sunday-Don’t Die
Hey.
It’s been...too long, I know.
Poor site just get completely neglected. I’d say I’ll do better this year, but new year’s resolutions are not my thing. *shrugs*
Anywhooo...
I’m working on my first release of the year. The series finale in volume 1 of the McAllister Security Series.
The original plan was for it to come out in the fall, as the previous ones have, but the Wild Knights came barreling through and took over. Such is the life of a writer, we just go with whomever is speaking the loudest.
.
And then .
And now Silas and Karen are kinda chatting...we’re working on some...logistics, if you will...but yeah.
This series is by far, one that I’ve had to work the hardest on, given that it’s romantic suspense. There are somany moving parts.
And also, I’ve just been...I don’t know...I’ve felt some kind of way, wanting to make sure I’ve done these characters justice. . She was a character that I wanted to do justice. And as we come to a close with Silas I’m back to that feeling again. He’s always been a character who wasn’t much on words...just all about his work. Thankfully, he’s speaking finally...kinda of...I suppose it just took the right woman.
But I digress...Y’all wanna read this lil sample.
*If you haven’t read Vigilant Loveyet, there is a bit of a spoiler so you may wanna wait, or .*
Are you still with me? Good, so boom, here’s the set up:
If you recall from Vigilant Love, Silas was Karen’s bodyguard for a spell. This is kind of a peek at what happen during that time.
I’ve prattled on enough so here it is.
Unedited. Subject to (and parts probably will) change.
Saying this with all the love: Please, please, please, don’t ask me “when?� cause, chile I don’t know. I hope before Valentine’s Day. But for now...enjoy!
Karen Barnes let out a startled yelp as she lost her balance and landed on the ground with a thud.
“Fuck,� she ground out, wiping the sweat from her brow.
“That was sloppy as hell.�
Karen looked up as Silas Stone ambled over to her.
Her eyes slid up the length of his body and she blew out a frustrated breath throw her nostrils. How could someone so gorgeous be so damn insufferable she thought to herself as Silas towered over her.
Silas worked for McAllister Security has been assigned to be Karen’s bodyguard after an attempt on her sister, Trish’s life had been made. Trish was the local district attorney and was working a high profile case that had put her in danger. Which meant anyone directly connected to Trish was at risk as well.
Karen hadn’t argued when Boomer Thompson, Trish’s ex and Silas’s coworker, said it was best for all of Trish’s family be relocated and have round-the-clock protection until the trial was over. They were even having her parents, who lived on the other side of the country moved somewhere safe.
Karen had first met Silas the night her sister had been brought in to the hospital after Trish’s car had been bombed.
He hadn’t said much then.
He hadn’t said much since then.
His ‘strong, silent type� vibe he had going on had begun to drive her a little bit crazy.
It wasn’t until he’d walked in on her watching a video on self-defense and she heard him scoff that they had any real communication beyond a few words here and there.
She’d convinced him to show her some techniques on how to defend herself, but she hadn’t expected for it to turn into a whole ass workout.
“You could go a little easy on me, you know?� Karen grumbled as she got back on her feet. “I’m tired.
“You think an attacker is gonna take it easy on you because you’re tired?� Silas asked, raising an eyebrow up at her.
She knew he was right, but rather than answer, she just rolled her eyes and grabbed her bottle of water.
“You ready to call it quits?� Silas asked.
Karen let out another frustrated breath as she put her water down.
“No. What’s next?�
Karen gasped slightly when she suddenly felt Silas’s large arms wrap around her body, locking her arms down by her sides.
“Protecting yourself from an attack from behind,� Silas said, close to her ear.
Karen swallowed and nodded and listened carefully as Silas began to explain.
“If they get their arms around you from behind,� Silas started. “You head butt them with the back of your head, and then you stomp their toe. Once you’ve done that, allow your body to go limp, dead weight and then lock your hands around their wrist so you can break their grip on you. Turn towards them and you can hit them with an elbow before shoving them away. By this point you should have done more than enough damage to turn and run for help.�
Karen tried to focus on Silas’s instructions, but why did it have to feel so good with his body wrapped around hers the way it was. And why did he have to smell so good.
“Did you get all of that?� Silas asked, causing Karen to blink.
Ԩ.�
“Show me,� Silas ordered, squeezing his arms around her a little tighter. “Just...please be careful and don’t really–shit!�
Karen turned when Silas’s grip loosened completely. She turned and her eyes went wide, when she realized he was grabbing his nose.
“Oh shit!� she exclaimed, as she watched blood began to drip everywhere.
It hadn’t been her intention on actually head butting him.
She grabbed his hand that wasn’t holding his nose and pulled him over into the kitchen. “Sit upright, lean forward slightly, breathe through your mouth.�
She’d instantly gone into doctor mode, inspecting his nose.
“It’s not broken,� she finally said, sighing with relief.
She took a step back as Silas stood from the chair.
“I’m gonna and get cleaned up,� he said, heading for his bedroom.
“Silas, I am so sorry,� she said.
He stopped and turned back to look at her. “Believe me, Doc. I’ve had injuries way worse than a busted nose.�
She could only imagine. She’d heard from Trish that before Silas and Boomer had started working in private security, they’d worked for the government and before that they’d been Navy SEALs.
“Still,� Karen sighed. “I’m really sorry.�
“Don’t sweat it,� he assured her before disappearing into his room.
Karen stood in the kitchen slightly shocked, wondering if she’d imagined what she’d just seen. It had only been for a split second, but she could have sworn she’d seen a ghost of a smile around the corners of his mouth.
She shook her head, a smile of her own creeping onto her lips as she went to work cleaning up the mess from his bloody nose.
****
Silas finished washing his face, and grabbed a couple of aspirin, tossing them back before he stripped out of his clothes and got into the shower.
Karen Barnes was something else, he thought to himself.
Strong-willed and beautiful.
So fucking beautiful.
And totally off-limits, a voice in his head reminded him as he began to scrub his body with soap.
She was just a job to him. He had a very strict policy about not getting too close to clients.
The last time he’d done that, he’d lost way too much.
Silas finished up his shower, trying not to remember how good her body had felt pressed against his for that brief moment before she’d damn near broken his nose.
He shook his head and grinned.
Yeah, she was something else.
****
Don’t die, don’t die, don’t die.
Those words echoed in Karen’s mind over and over as applied pressure to Silas’s abdomen while the paramedics whisked them out to an ambulance.
They’d been in the court room watching as Trish won her biggest case, the Ivan Mendoza murder trial.
When the judge had ordered the bailiff to take Mendoza away, all hell had broken loose.
Mendoza managed to somehow snatch the gun from the bailiff’s holster, and the next thing Karen knew, Silas had shoved her to the ground as he, Boomer and their co-workers Zeke Bostick and Laila Stanton all pulled out their guns along with the police officers that were also in the court room.
Everything seems to slow down once the gun went off and Karen had frozen when she Silas nearly collapsed on top of her.
When she realized he’d been shot, she sprang into action.
They made it to the ambulance and Karen hopped off the stretcher, keeping her hand on the wound.
“We’re losing him,� one of the paramedics called out.
“Like hell we are,� Karen growled. She looked at the paramedic and ordered, “Charge the paddles.�
She snatched the defibrillator paddles up and when they were full charged, she yelled, “Clear!� and pressed them to his chest.
Thankfully once was enough and Silas’s heartbeat returned.
They arrived at the hospital and hurried out. Karen gave them a rundown of his injury and they immediately whisked him into surgery, leaving her standing in the middle of the E.R. waiting room.
She barely came out of her daze when she felt Trish pull her into a tight hug. She vaguely remembered Trish, along with Laila, taking her to the locker room to change out of the clothes that were covered with Silas’s blood.
As she stood in the shower, numbly watching as the blood ran down the drain, she squeezed her eyes shut and prayed that he survived the surgery.
****
“If you start feeling lightheaded or short of breath–�
“Doc,� Silas groaned. “I already told you. I got it.�
Karen stopped the wheelchair and Silas slowly stood and turned to face her. Boomer had just pulled up in his SUV to pick Silas up and take him home.
“Well,� Karen sighed. “I guess this is where we part ways.�
Ԩ.�
“I...thanks for...guarding my life,� Karen said.
He was taken by surprised when Karen suddenly moved to him and gently wrapped her arms around him, being considerate of his wound.
Silas hesitated for a moment before returning the hug.
“Thanks for saving mine,� he murmured to her
Silas had the hardest time turning and leaving, but he reminded himself, that protecting Karen was job and his job was done. It was time for him to move on.
“Goodbye, Karen,� he said finally as he released his hold on her.
“Bye, Silas,� Karen replied.
They both took a step back and Silas turned and got into Boomer’s car.
“You good, man?� Boomer asked.
“Yeah,� Silas said. “Let’s get out of here.�
It’s been...too long, I know.
Poor site just get completely neglected. I’d say I’ll do better this year, but new year’s resolutions are not my thing. *shrugs*
Anywhooo...
I’m working on my first release of the year. The series finale in volume 1 of the McAllister Security Series.
The original plan was for it to come out in the fall, as the previous ones have, but the Wild Knights came barreling through and took over. Such is the life of a writer, we just go with whomever is speaking the loudest.
.
And then .
And now Silas and Karen are kinda chatting...we’re working on some...logistics, if you will...but yeah.
This series is by far, one that I’ve had to work the hardest on, given that it’s romantic suspense. There are somany moving parts.
And also, I’ve just been...I don’t know...I’ve felt some kind of way, wanting to make sure I’ve done these characters justice. . She was a character that I wanted to do justice. And as we come to a close with Silas I’m back to that feeling again. He’s always been a character who wasn’t much on words...just all about his work. Thankfully, he’s speaking finally...kinda of...I suppose it just took the right woman.
But I digress...Y’all wanna read this lil sample.
*If you haven’t read Vigilant Loveyet, there is a bit of a spoiler so you may wanna wait, or .*
Are you still with me? Good, so boom, here’s the set up:
If you recall from Vigilant Love, Silas was Karen’s bodyguard for a spell. This is kind of a peek at what happen during that time.
I’ve prattled on enough so here it is.
Unedited. Subject to (and parts probably will) change.
Saying this with all the love: Please, please, please, don’t ask me “when?� cause, chile I don’t know. I hope before Valentine’s Day. But for now...enjoy!
Karen Barnes let out a startled yelp as she lost her balance and landed on the ground with a thud.
“Fuck,� she ground out, wiping the sweat from her brow.
“That was sloppy as hell.�
Karen looked up as Silas Stone ambled over to her.
Her eyes slid up the length of his body and she blew out a frustrated breath throw her nostrils. How could someone so gorgeous be so damn insufferable she thought to herself as Silas towered over her.
Silas worked for McAllister Security has been assigned to be Karen’s bodyguard after an attempt on her sister, Trish’s life had been made. Trish was the local district attorney and was working a high profile case that had put her in danger. Which meant anyone directly connected to Trish was at risk as well.
Karen hadn’t argued when Boomer Thompson, Trish’s ex and Silas’s coworker, said it was best for all of Trish’s family be relocated and have round-the-clock protection until the trial was over. They were even having her parents, who lived on the other side of the country moved somewhere safe.
Karen had first met Silas the night her sister had been brought in to the hospital after Trish’s car had been bombed.
He hadn’t said much then.
He hadn’t said much since then.
His ‘strong, silent type� vibe he had going on had begun to drive her a little bit crazy.
It wasn’t until he’d walked in on her watching a video on self-defense and she heard him scoff that they had any real communication beyond a few words here and there.
She’d convinced him to show her some techniques on how to defend herself, but she hadn’t expected for it to turn into a whole ass workout.
“You could go a little easy on me, you know?� Karen grumbled as she got back on her feet. “I’m tired.
“You think an attacker is gonna take it easy on you because you’re tired?� Silas asked, raising an eyebrow up at her.
She knew he was right, but rather than answer, she just rolled her eyes and grabbed her bottle of water.
“You ready to call it quits?� Silas asked.
Karen let out another frustrated breath as she put her water down.
“No. What’s next?�
Karen gasped slightly when she suddenly felt Silas’s large arms wrap around her body, locking her arms down by her sides.
“Protecting yourself from an attack from behind,� Silas said, close to her ear.
Karen swallowed and nodded and listened carefully as Silas began to explain.
“If they get their arms around you from behind,� Silas started. “You head butt them with the back of your head, and then you stomp their toe. Once you’ve done that, allow your body to go limp, dead weight and then lock your hands around their wrist so you can break their grip on you. Turn towards them and you can hit them with an elbow before shoving them away. By this point you should have done more than enough damage to turn and run for help.�
Karen tried to focus on Silas’s instructions, but why did it have to feel so good with his body wrapped around hers the way it was. And why did he have to smell so good.
“Did you get all of that?� Silas asked, causing Karen to blink.
Ԩ.�
“Show me,� Silas ordered, squeezing his arms around her a little tighter. “Just...please be careful and don’t really–shit!�
Karen turned when Silas’s grip loosened completely. She turned and her eyes went wide, when she realized he was grabbing his nose.
“Oh shit!� she exclaimed, as she watched blood began to drip everywhere.
It hadn’t been her intention on actually head butting him.
She grabbed his hand that wasn’t holding his nose and pulled him over into the kitchen. “Sit upright, lean forward slightly, breathe through your mouth.�
She’d instantly gone into doctor mode, inspecting his nose.
“It’s not broken,� she finally said, sighing with relief.
She took a step back as Silas stood from the chair.
“I’m gonna and get cleaned up,� he said, heading for his bedroom.
“Silas, I am so sorry,� she said.
He stopped and turned back to look at her. “Believe me, Doc. I’ve had injuries way worse than a busted nose.�
She could only imagine. She’d heard from Trish that before Silas and Boomer had started working in private security, they’d worked for the government and before that they’d been Navy SEALs.
“Still,� Karen sighed. “I’m really sorry.�
“Don’t sweat it,� he assured her before disappearing into his room.
Karen stood in the kitchen slightly shocked, wondering if she’d imagined what she’d just seen. It had only been for a split second, but she could have sworn she’d seen a ghost of a smile around the corners of his mouth.
She shook her head, a smile of her own creeping onto her lips as she went to work cleaning up the mess from his bloody nose.
****
Silas finished washing his face, and grabbed a couple of aspirin, tossing them back before he stripped out of his clothes and got into the shower.
Karen Barnes was something else, he thought to himself.
Strong-willed and beautiful.
So fucking beautiful.
And totally off-limits, a voice in his head reminded him as he began to scrub his body with soap.
She was just a job to him. He had a very strict policy about not getting too close to clients.
The last time he’d done that, he’d lost way too much.
Silas finished up his shower, trying not to remember how good her body had felt pressed against his for that brief moment before she’d damn near broken his nose.
He shook his head and grinned.
Yeah, she was something else.
****
Don’t die, don’t die, don’t die.
Those words echoed in Karen’s mind over and over as applied pressure to Silas’s abdomen while the paramedics whisked them out to an ambulance.
They’d been in the court room watching as Trish won her biggest case, the Ivan Mendoza murder trial.
When the judge had ordered the bailiff to take Mendoza away, all hell had broken loose.
Mendoza managed to somehow snatch the gun from the bailiff’s holster, and the next thing Karen knew, Silas had shoved her to the ground as he, Boomer and their co-workers Zeke Bostick and Laila Stanton all pulled out their guns along with the police officers that were also in the court room.
Everything seems to slow down once the gun went off and Karen had frozen when she Silas nearly collapsed on top of her.
When she realized he’d been shot, she sprang into action.
They made it to the ambulance and Karen hopped off the stretcher, keeping her hand on the wound.
“We’re losing him,� one of the paramedics called out.
“Like hell we are,� Karen growled. She looked at the paramedic and ordered, “Charge the paddles.�
She snatched the defibrillator paddles up and when they were full charged, she yelled, “Clear!� and pressed them to his chest.
Thankfully once was enough and Silas’s heartbeat returned.
They arrived at the hospital and hurried out. Karen gave them a rundown of his injury and they immediately whisked him into surgery, leaving her standing in the middle of the E.R. waiting room.
She barely came out of her daze when she felt Trish pull her into a tight hug. She vaguely remembered Trish, along with Laila, taking her to the locker room to change out of the clothes that were covered with Silas’s blood.
As she stood in the shower, numbly watching as the blood ran down the drain, she squeezed her eyes shut and prayed that he survived the surgery.
****
“If you start feeling lightheaded or short of breath–�
“Doc,� Silas groaned. “I already told you. I got it.�
Karen stopped the wheelchair and Silas slowly stood and turned to face her. Boomer had just pulled up in his SUV to pick Silas up and take him home.
“Well,� Karen sighed. “I guess this is where we part ways.�
Ԩ.�
“I...thanks for...guarding my life,� Karen said.
He was taken by surprised when Karen suddenly moved to him and gently wrapped her arms around him, being considerate of his wound.
Silas hesitated for a moment before returning the hug.
“Thanks for saving mine,� he murmured to her
Silas had the hardest time turning and leaving, but he reminded himself, that protecting Karen was job and his job was done. It was time for him to move on.
“Goodbye, Karen,� he said finally as he released his hold on her.
“Bye, Silas,� Karen replied.
They both took a step back and Silas turned and got into Boomer’s car.
“You good, man?� Boomer asked.
“Yeah,� Silas said. “Let’s get out of here.�
April 21, 2019
#SampleSunday: I See You
Happy Easter! My gift to you is a lil sample of my current WIP.
***Unedited, subject to change***
Jay: Bitch, WHERE TF are you going?!?! That was the text she’d sent me after I shared my location with Jaclyn and Octavia on phone tracking app. I still had to use some common sense.I peeked over at Rome who was driving, and bobbing his head along to the music playing softly on the radio and then turned my attention back to my text messages.Remember the guy I was dancing with at the parade yesterday? Tay: That FINE ass with the camera? Yes.I went on to tell Jaclyn and Octavia about how I’d ended up in the same cafe as Rome; after those bitches ditched me to do some swimming with sharks shit they knew I wasn’t gonna be down for. Yeah I was livin� in the movement, but I had to draw the line somewhere.I’d been hesitant to go with Rome at first, Typical Cyn telling me all the reasons why it was a bad idea. But then he’d said Vacation Cyn’s mantra and I knew I couldn’t say no.Rome had been right, something had drawn me to him at the parade; and it wasn’t the liquor. Jay: If you don’t ride that man’s dick until sunup, we’re leaving you in Trinidad. I swallowed a laugh and looked over at Rome again.It had been a while since I’d been with a man. Truth be told, while dancing with him, I’d gotten a bit of a sneak peek at what Rome was working with and...Goddamn...Maybe Jaclyn had a point.Octavia merely backed up Jaclyn’s advice with a simple text of Be safe and shoot us an S.O.S. if shit is foul. We come and get you. Will do. Love you, I replied back and then tucked my phone away to look out the window as we drove down a winding road that overlooked the ocean.“Wow,� I sighed. “This is beautiful.”“Yeah,� Rome agreed.“Earlier at the cafe, you said your father was from here. Did you get to visit here often?”“Every summer and occasionally during the holidays,� Rome said. “We didn’t get out here as much after my father passed. But my brothers and I try to visit at least once a year. Our grandmother still lives here.”“How many brothers do you have?”“Two. We’re triplets actually.”“Really?”“It kinda runs in the family, multiples. My mother has a twin sister.”“Wow!”We drove for a little while longer, and eventually Rome turned down a dirt road surrounded by trees. Soon he came to a stop and turned the car off.“We’ll have to walk from here,� he said. “But it’s not too long of a trek.”“Okay,� I replied, before he got out of the car and came around to my side to help me out.He kept my hand in his as he guided me through the forested area. We’d only been walking for a few minutes when he stopped and turned to face me, a sexy grin spreading across his lips.“Are you ready?� he asked and I responded with an eager nod.He led me through a clearing, and my mouth fell open in awe at what was easily one of the most beautiful beaches I’d ever seen.“Rome...this is...� I couldn’t find the words to properly describe my thoughts.Rome squeezed my hand a little tighter and pulled me further towards the beach.“Come on,� he said.He toed off his shoes, and I did the same, loving the way the powdery soft sand felt beneath my feet.I looked one way down the beach and then the other realizing, “There’s no one here.”“Yeah,� Rome explained. “Since it’s not as easily accessible as so many of the other beaches it’s stayed fairly secluded.”“I see why this is one of your favorite places,� I said, releasing his hand. I kept going until I reached the shoreline. The ocean water splashed against my toes and I leaned my head back and shut my eyes, taking in the feeling of the sun kissing my skin.I stood like that, enjoying the sound of nothing but waves, for several minutes; until I heard a beeping from behind me.I opened my eyes and looked behind me to find Rome, camera in his hand taking pictures of me.“I didn’t even realize you’d brought that with you,� I said.“I pretty much always have a camera with me,� he said, taking another picture. “You don’t mind, do you?”“I suppose not,� I said, scrunching my nose.The sound of the shutter clicking as he took several more pics and he said, “I told you earlier, the camera seems to be taken by you.”“Hmmm.� That hadn’t been the only thing he’d admitted to being taken by me. Instead of bringing that up again, I said, “It just feels kinda strange, that’s all.”“Having your picture taken?� Rome asked, lowering his camera. “Why?”“In my line of work...hell in my life...I guess I’ve just gotten use being invisible. My job is not to be seen.”“That’s quite a shame,� Rome said quietly. “Because you’re definitely worth being seen.”“Not everyone thinks so.”“Fuck everyone who doesn’t.”His words made me look up at him and I found him staring at me.�I see you,� he said.
His gaze was so intense that I had to look away. Desperate to change to subject before I got all emotional over his words, I turned my gaze back to the water and asked, “How did you find this place?”When I realized he was no longer taking pictures of me and that he’d taken a long time to answer, I turned to look at him.He had a sad smile on his face when he finally answered. “My dad used to bring me here as a kid.”“Oh.”“Being a triplet, there was always this...assumption that we always did everything together. And I mean...we kinda did,� he chuckled. “But my dad made sure to spend time with us individually too. And this is where he’d bring me. He taught me a lot of shit out here. I make sure to come out here whenever I visit the island.”“And you brought me with you this time?� I asked.Rome nodded. “You mentioned being unhappy and missing your father. Coming here brings me peace.� Shrugging, he added, “I figured it might do the same for you.”I turned my gaze from him back to the ocean.“It does,� I said, looking at him again.We sat down in the sand, and talked forever; trading stories of our fathers that brought smiles to both of our faces.“Thank you for bringing me here,� I eventually said. “This...has helped. More than you know.”“You’re welcome, gorgeous,� he said as he turned towards me and pushed a strand of hair out of my face. When his thumb lightly grazed my cheekbone, my eyes drifted shut. His hand slid to the back of my neck and he gently pulled me closer to him, giving me ample time to stop him or back away, if that had been what I wanted.It wasn’t.I closed the little bit of distance left between us, and eagerly lifted my head as he slowly pressed his lips against mine. It was a soft kiss, that had me melting against his body. He kissed me again, and again, each time a little deeper, until I opened my mouth and sucked his tongue into my mouth, causing him to let out a moan that had my entire body shivering. He grabbed me by the waist and pulled me so I was straddling his lap and I wrapped my arms around his neck.Finally, the need to breathe forced us apart, but Rome kept his hands around my hips. He dropped his forehead to mine, his chest rapidly rising and falling.“Goddamn, woman,� he said.“Yeah, the feeling is pretty mutual,� I said, shifting my body as I felt his erection beneath me.My movement made his grip on my body tighten.“Cyn...� he nearly growled, and I moved again, more deliberately. “I should probably...get you back to your place...You probably still have to pack and–”I cut off his words by kissing him again. When I pulled away, I grinned at him.“What happened to wanting to elongate the moment?� I asked, causing his lips to form a smirk that was so damn sexy my nipples hardened.“I was trying to be chivalrous,� he admitted.“And while I appreciate that,� I said. “I’m not...I’m not ready for whatever this is to end."“What would you like then?� he asked.“I’d like to go back toyourplace,� I told him. “‘Cause I’ve heard sex on the beach ain’t really all the movies and books make it out to be.”His eyes widened with my bluntness, but I felt his dick twitch beneath my ass. I let out a little yelp when he abruptly stood and helped me up.“My place it is then,� he said, and we rushed back to his car.
***Unedited, subject to change***
Jay: Bitch, WHERE TF are you going?!?! That was the text she’d sent me after I shared my location with Jaclyn and Octavia on phone tracking app. I still had to use some common sense.I peeked over at Rome who was driving, and bobbing his head along to the music playing softly on the radio and then turned my attention back to my text messages.Remember the guy I was dancing with at the parade yesterday? Tay: That FINE ass with the camera? Yes.I went on to tell Jaclyn and Octavia about how I’d ended up in the same cafe as Rome; after those bitches ditched me to do some swimming with sharks shit they knew I wasn’t gonna be down for. Yeah I was livin� in the movement, but I had to draw the line somewhere.I’d been hesitant to go with Rome at first, Typical Cyn telling me all the reasons why it was a bad idea. But then he’d said Vacation Cyn’s mantra and I knew I couldn’t say no.Rome had been right, something had drawn me to him at the parade; and it wasn’t the liquor. Jay: If you don’t ride that man’s dick until sunup, we’re leaving you in Trinidad. I swallowed a laugh and looked over at Rome again.It had been a while since I’d been with a man. Truth be told, while dancing with him, I’d gotten a bit of a sneak peek at what Rome was working with and...Goddamn...Maybe Jaclyn had a point.Octavia merely backed up Jaclyn’s advice with a simple text of Be safe and shoot us an S.O.S. if shit is foul. We come and get you. Will do. Love you, I replied back and then tucked my phone away to look out the window as we drove down a winding road that overlooked the ocean.“Wow,� I sighed. “This is beautiful.”“Yeah,� Rome agreed.“Earlier at the cafe, you said your father was from here. Did you get to visit here often?”“Every summer and occasionally during the holidays,� Rome said. “We didn’t get out here as much after my father passed. But my brothers and I try to visit at least once a year. Our grandmother still lives here.”“How many brothers do you have?”“Two. We’re triplets actually.”“Really?”“It kinda runs in the family, multiples. My mother has a twin sister.”“Wow!”We drove for a little while longer, and eventually Rome turned down a dirt road surrounded by trees. Soon he came to a stop and turned the car off.“We’ll have to walk from here,� he said. “But it’s not too long of a trek.”“Okay,� I replied, before he got out of the car and came around to my side to help me out.He kept my hand in his as he guided me through the forested area. We’d only been walking for a few minutes when he stopped and turned to face me, a sexy grin spreading across his lips.“Are you ready?� he asked and I responded with an eager nod.He led me through a clearing, and my mouth fell open in awe at what was easily one of the most beautiful beaches I’d ever seen.“Rome...this is...� I couldn’t find the words to properly describe my thoughts.Rome squeezed my hand a little tighter and pulled me further towards the beach.“Come on,� he said.He toed off his shoes, and I did the same, loving the way the powdery soft sand felt beneath my feet.I looked one way down the beach and then the other realizing, “There’s no one here.”“Yeah,� Rome explained. “Since it’s not as easily accessible as so many of the other beaches it’s stayed fairly secluded.”“I see why this is one of your favorite places,� I said, releasing his hand. I kept going until I reached the shoreline. The ocean water splashed against my toes and I leaned my head back and shut my eyes, taking in the feeling of the sun kissing my skin.I stood like that, enjoying the sound of nothing but waves, for several minutes; until I heard a beeping from behind me.I opened my eyes and looked behind me to find Rome, camera in his hand taking pictures of me.“I didn’t even realize you’d brought that with you,� I said.“I pretty much always have a camera with me,� he said, taking another picture. “You don’t mind, do you?”“I suppose not,� I said, scrunching my nose.The sound of the shutter clicking as he took several more pics and he said, “I told you earlier, the camera seems to be taken by you.”“Hmmm.� That hadn’t been the only thing he’d admitted to being taken by me. Instead of bringing that up again, I said, “It just feels kinda strange, that’s all.”“Having your picture taken?� Rome asked, lowering his camera. “Why?”“In my line of work...hell in my life...I guess I’ve just gotten use being invisible. My job is not to be seen.”“That’s quite a shame,� Rome said quietly. “Because you’re definitely worth being seen.”“Not everyone thinks so.”“Fuck everyone who doesn’t.”His words made me look up at him and I found him staring at me.�I see you,� he said.
His gaze was so intense that I had to look away. Desperate to change to subject before I got all emotional over his words, I turned my gaze back to the water and asked, “How did you find this place?”When I realized he was no longer taking pictures of me and that he’d taken a long time to answer, I turned to look at him.He had a sad smile on his face when he finally answered. “My dad used to bring me here as a kid.”“Oh.”“Being a triplet, there was always this...assumption that we always did everything together. And I mean...we kinda did,� he chuckled. “But my dad made sure to spend time with us individually too. And this is where he’d bring me. He taught me a lot of shit out here. I make sure to come out here whenever I visit the island.”“And you brought me with you this time?� I asked.Rome nodded. “You mentioned being unhappy and missing your father. Coming here brings me peace.� Shrugging, he added, “I figured it might do the same for you.”I turned my gaze from him back to the ocean.“It does,� I said, looking at him again.We sat down in the sand, and talked forever; trading stories of our fathers that brought smiles to both of our faces.“Thank you for bringing me here,� I eventually said. “This...has helped. More than you know.”“You’re welcome, gorgeous,� he said as he turned towards me and pushed a strand of hair out of my face. When his thumb lightly grazed my cheekbone, my eyes drifted shut. His hand slid to the back of my neck and he gently pulled me closer to him, giving me ample time to stop him or back away, if that had been what I wanted.It wasn’t.I closed the little bit of distance left between us, and eagerly lifted my head as he slowly pressed his lips against mine. It was a soft kiss, that had me melting against his body. He kissed me again, and again, each time a little deeper, until I opened my mouth and sucked his tongue into my mouth, causing him to let out a moan that had my entire body shivering. He grabbed me by the waist and pulled me so I was straddling his lap and I wrapped my arms around his neck.Finally, the need to breathe forced us apart, but Rome kept his hands around my hips. He dropped his forehead to mine, his chest rapidly rising and falling.“Goddamn, woman,� he said.“Yeah, the feeling is pretty mutual,� I said, shifting my body as I felt his erection beneath me.My movement made his grip on my body tighten.“Cyn...� he nearly growled, and I moved again, more deliberately. “I should probably...get you back to your place...You probably still have to pack and–”I cut off his words by kissing him again. When I pulled away, I grinned at him.“What happened to wanting to elongate the moment?� I asked, causing his lips to form a smirk that was so damn sexy my nipples hardened.“I was trying to be chivalrous,� he admitted.“And while I appreciate that,� I said. “I’m not...I’m not ready for whatever this is to end."“What would you like then?� he asked.“I’d like to go back toyourplace,� I told him. “‘Cause I’ve heard sex on the beach ain’t really all the movies and books make it out to be.”His eyes widened with my bluntness, but I felt his dick twitch beneath my ass. I let out a little yelp when he abruptly stood and helped me up.“My place it is then,� he said, and we rushed back to his car.
December 31, 2018
Return to Ragston: A Winterborne Wedding
Happy New Year! I put together a lil New Year’s short for you guys! We’re catching up with Rocki and Seth for a wedding in Ragston, Michigan on the Winterborne Estate (the bed and breakfast that Charli runs in the Lessons in Love series that I collaborated on with and !
Check it out below!
A Few Months Ago...I took a sip of my champagne and looked over at Seth, who seemed nervous. That was completely out of character for him.Nothing made Seth nervous. Ever.So naturally his nervousness was starting to make me nervous.We were at the wrap party for the movie I’d just finished filming in Vancouver with Isaiah Noble. It had gone great, and I was positive that we had a hit on our hands.I reached over and placed a hand on Seth's leg.Leaning over to him, I asked, “Is everything okay?”He turned and looked at me. “Huh? Yeah. Of course. How are you? Do you want or need anything?� he asked.“I want to get out of here,� I said, discreetly sliding my hand further up his thigh.We’d been at the party for about an hour longer than I’d originally wanted to be. But I wanted to make sure I made my rounds: congratulating fellow cast and crew members, schmoozing with investors...all that jazz.Seth looked down at my hand, pulled his phone out of his pocket and after glancing at it, nodded.After going around one final time to say goodbye to everyone, Seth guided us out of the club. The drive back to the back to the apartment complex we were staying in was tense and quiet.It was driving me up the fucking wall.By the time we were on the elevator and Seth had used the keycard to take us up to the condo we were staying in, I’d had enough.“Are you breaking up with me?� I blurted out.Seth turned and looked at me, eyes wide.“What?� he asked, shaking his head. “What the hell would make you think–”“Seth. I know something is wrong. You don’t think I can’t tell when something is bothering you? We may have only been dating for a year, but I’ve known you for nearly my entire life.”“Roxanne–� Seth started, but I cut him off.“Whatever is going on, I can handle it. Just tell me.”Before he could respond, the elevator pinged and the doors slid open. I turned around and gasped in complete shock, as I stepped into the apartment. Looking around in awe, my eyes filled with tears as I followed a path of flameless candles and rose petals. I ended up standing in the center of roses strewn on the balcony in shape of a heart. I turned and found Seth slowly coming towards me, a warm smile on his lips.“Seth,� I whispered, looking around again. “What is all this?”“This is...the culmination of being in love with you for...damn near most of my life,� he quietly replied, as he wiped away a stray tear with the pad of his thumb. “Being with you over the last year has only confirmed what I’ve known for a long time.”“And what is that?� I asked.“We’re soulmates, Rocki,� he said, slowly dropping down to one knee. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you...as your husband.”My hand flew to my mouth as he reached into his pocket, pulled out a velvet box and opened it, revealing a gorgeous diamond ring.“Roxanne Malone, will you marry me?”“Yes!� I said, nodding. “Of course, I’ll marry you.”He pulled the ring out of the box and slid it onto my finger, before standing and pulling me into his arms, plying my lips with a long kiss.When he finally pulled away, I looked down at the ring again, excited.“We’re engaged,� I squealed, hopping up and down. “I can’t wait to tell Emerson and Charli...�
****
Now...
I lifted my arms over my head, shaking my hips as I made my way onto the dance floor with Emerson and Charli on my heels. We were on the second stop of my bachelorette party extravaganza.Emerson and Charli � my maid and matron of honor, respectively � had gone all out for my ‘last hoorah�. We’d spent the afternoon at the spa, which included everything from facials and massages to waxing and v-steaming (something Charli’s ass had talked us into).Once we’d been fully pampered, we loaded a party bus that would take us all over the city. Our first stop had been to a pole dancing studio where we’d been scheduled for lessons. Both Charli and I had been shocked as hell when both our mothers and grandmothers had sauntered into the studio, proud grins on their faces.We had a bridal brunch planned with them tomorrow � the day before the wedding � thinking that would throw them off of our scent as far as our more...rowdy plans were concerned. But somehow, they’d figured them out and crashed the pole dancing party.And shut it down as well if Charli’s grandma Honey’s dance moves were any indication.Those moves would be seared into my brain for a long time. Especially Honey droppin� it like it was hot with a dick headband on her head.Thankfully, all of that getting ‘turnt up', as Honey had put it, tuckered the older ladies out and they didn’t join us on the second leg of our bachelorette party tour.So it was just me, Emerson, Charli and the rest of the ladies who we’d invited to join us getting down on the dance floor.In need of a drink, I made my way back to the area that had been roped off just for us and picked up one of the phallic-shaped water bottles (the things that could be found on the internet) and took a long sip.“If you’re looking for the real thing, I will happily obliged,� I heard a deep voice murmured into my ear.I grinned and turned around to find a set of dark eyes staring into mine.“Hello, gorgeous. What are you doing New Year’s Eve?”“Oh, you know...just getting married,� I said, before I slid my hand around his neck and pulled him down for a long kiss. When I finally pulled away, I shook my head. “What are you doing here?”Seth grinned down at me.“Little birdie may have mentioned that you ladies would be stopping by here tonight,� he said as he joined me on the sofa. His eyes went to my head. “That’s...interesting.”I quickly snatched the dick headband off of my head and tossed it onto the table.He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and I snuggled into his side.“Hi,� Seth said, gazing down into my eyes.“Hi,� I replied. “How’s your bachelor party going?”“Even better now.”I smiled as I looked out onto the dance floor and noticed that both Roosevelt and Wesley had made their presence known to Emerson and Charli.A new song had come on and we watched as Ro and Em began to dance as well as Wes and Charli.“Pregnancy looks so good on her,� I murmured, watching the way Wes protectively kept his hands on Charli’s large belly as they danced.“It’ll look good on you someday too.”I brought my focus back to Seth and his words.“That’s...that’s something we haven’t really discussed,� I said, quietly. Now probably wasn’t really the time or place to be having the discussion, but here we were.“No,� Seth said. “We haven’t. How do you feel about it? Do you want kids?”I smiled as I palmed his cheek. I knew Seth would be a great father from the way he was with my niece, Katie, and my nephew, PJ. I still couldn’t get the image of him holding baby Paul out of my mind, imagining that he’d look the same way with our own baby in his arms.“I most definitely want to have your babies, Seth Gardiner.”Seth kissed the palm of my hand, and then interlocked my fingers with his.“Come on,� he said, as he stood and pulled me up with him. “I wanna dance with my future bride.”We made our way onto the dance floor and I melded against Seth when he pulled my body against his. His hands moved down from my waist to my ass and I could feel his erection pressed against my stomach as we continued to sway to the music.I ground my hips harder against his and I felt his chest rumble as he chuckled.“You’re trying to start some shit you can’t finish right now, Roxanne,� he quietly growled into my ear.I leaned back so I could look up into his eyes.“Who says I can’t finish it right now?� I teased.One of Seth’s eyebrows raised in question.“We can’t exactly leave,� he said, as he looked around.“You’re right,� I sighed, with a pout. “Guess, we’ll just have to wait until the honeymoon.”“Maybe not,� he said, a wicked grin spreading across his face. He leaned down, whispered into my ear and I gasped at his words. I pulled away to look over my shoulder and when I turned to face Seth again, he was gone.I looked around trying to find him, but he’d disappeared into the crowd.“Hey!”I turned to find Emerson coming up to me. She shoved a glass of champagne into my hands.“Hey,� I said, smiling at Em. “You’ve been getting down with your boo.”“As have you,� Emerson giggled, as she took a sip of her own drink.I finished my drink in one long gulp.I smiled when Roosevelt came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck.“Hey, Rocki,� he said to me.“Hey, Ro.”“I know this is your night and all, but I hope you don’t mind me stealing your maid of honor for one last dance?”“Of course not,� I said, as I put my empty glass down. Ro took Em by the hand and led her further back onto the dance floor and I took the opportunity to make my discreet escape.I made it to the bathroom and knocked the way Seth had instructed me to. After a few seconds passed, I heard the door unlock and I quickly slipped into the bathroom, re-locking the door once I was inside.I looked up to find Seth’s eyes on me, dark with desire. He wasted no time as he pressed me against the bathroom door, shoved his hands into my hair and captured my mouth in a drugging kiss. He hoisted me up into his arms and I wrapped my legs around him, causing my dress to bunch up around my waist.Seth carried me to the other side of the bathroom and sat me down on the counter next to the sink. I shivered when my skin made contact with the cold granite.I pulled away and my hands went to the belt buckle of his pants. I made quick work of undoing the belt, followed by the button and zipper. My mouth watered as I slid my hand past the waistband of his underwear and wrapped my hand around his hard dick, my thumb gliding over the tip.“Shit, Rocki,� he groaned as I continued stroking him.He stepped back slightly, causing me to release my grip on his member and began to slide his hands up my thighs until he reached my thong. I lifted my hips as he pulled my panties off and then spread my legs wide when he closed the distance between us. He hooked his hands around the backs of my knees and dragged me to the edge of the counter. His mouth covered mine in an open-mouth kiss, as he slammed into me, swallowing my cries of pleasure.I braced my hands on his shoulders as he fucked me on that bathroom counter, meeting every one of his strokes with my own.He tore his lips from mine, yanked the top of my dress down and began to ravish my breasts. My back arched, and he sucked even harder onto my breast.“Seth!� I cried out.“I can’t wait to marry you the day after tomorrow,� he said, before licking my neck. “You’ll finally be mine. Forever.”“Seth...I...I’m gonna...”“Go ahead and come for me, beautiful,� he ordered.And I did. My body came undone around him, and a minute later I felt him coming too.I don’t know how long we stayed in that position � Seth inside of me, his arms tightly wrapped around my waist and our clothes completely disheveled � but I didn’t really give a damn.I needed this. Needed him.I’d been having...not cold feet exactly, just concerns. I’d been worried that once we were married, things between us would change. I’d voiced my concerns to Charli and Emerson and Charli had given me some sound advice, and while it definitely did put my mind at ease quite a bit, this spontaneous moment with Seth had helped even more.“You okay?”I opened my eyes to find Seth staring at me.“Never better,� I said, leaning forward to kiss his lips.“I’d better get you back out there before the bridal party starts to worry.”“Yeah, we’re supposed to be heading back to the hotel soon,� I said as Seth finally pulled out of me.We got cleaned up and fixed our clothes and I looked around for my thong.“Looking for these?� Seth asked, with a grin on his face.“There they are,� I reached out to grab them and Seth pulled them out of my reach.“I think I’ll keep these,� he said. “Considering I won’t see you for over twenty-four hours. I’ll need something to...help me cope.”“Uh-huh. You’re something else, you know that?”“Which is why you love me,� he said as he shoved my underwear into his pocket. He took a step towards me, pulled me into his arms and gave me one last kiss. “You go out first. Okay?”“Okay. I’ll see you down the aisle.”Seth grinned at me. “I can’t wait. I love you.”“And I love you.”Seth unlocked the door, and I quickly left the bathroom. I was heading for the tables when I heard my name.“There you are!� Emerson said. “Everyone is loading up on the party bus. We gotta get Charli back to the hotel.”“Is she okay?� I said, immediately concerned.“She’s fine. Just tired,� Emerson assured me. Her eyes swept over me and narrowed before widening with realization. “Oh...you nasty, girl!”“Shut up,� I laughed.“Hey, I ain’t mad at ya,� she said, wrapping an arm around my shoulder as we left the club. “Not one bit, sis. Get your pre-wedding freak on!�
****
“You look like you a lil hungover, baby,� Nana Jacobs said, as I sat down at the table for brunch with Emerson, Charli and Charli’s mother and grandmother.“Serves her right for trying to ditch us yesterday,� my mother grumbled with a satisfied grin on her face. “Thinking this little brunch would placate us and be our ‘fun� outing, tuh...”“Okay, mom. We get it,� I said, squinting. “Y’all still like to party too. We’re sorry.”“I guess you’re forgiven. So you can get your gifts now.”“My gifts?� I said, excitedly.“Yes,� Nana Jacobs said.My mom handed me a gift first.“Here’s your something old.”I opened the small velvet box and found a small locket.“Mom, it’s beautiful,� I said, picking it up and opening it. My eyes filled with tears when I saw a picture of my grandfather, Nana Jacobs� husband, inside.“I wore it on my wedding day,� she said.“I wish he could be here,� I said, looking from my mother to my grandmother.“He will be,� my mother assured.“I’m next,� Nana Jacobs said, handing me a gift bag. I instantly recognized it as a Scarlette’s Closet bag by its signature different shades of purple. I reached into the bag and pulled out a sexy piece of lingerie.“Your something new,� Nana Jacobs said with a wink.“Mom!� my mother gasped.“Mary, after what you did on that pole last night, do not sit there acting scandalized,� she said to my mother and then turned back to me. “I expect you to get to work right away on making me some more great-grands.”“I’ll do my best,� I said, laughing as I placed the outfit back into the bag.“Me next, me next!� Charli said, handing me another small box.I opened the box, revealing a jeweled comb.“Charli! This is the comb you wore on your wedding day.”“Figured you could borrow it for tomorrow.”“Thank you,� I said, leaning over to hug her.“And finally,� Emerson said, handing me a small bag. “Your something blue.”I reached into the bag and found a lacy blue garter.“I know it doesn’t exactly match the color scheme of the wedding, but–”“It’s perfect,� I said, shaking my head and wrapping my arms around Emerson. “It’s all perfect. Thank you, guys. You’ve made this all so great.”And they had.With the wedding being held on the Winterborne estate, Charli, along with her assistant Tracey, had taken care of most of the wedding arrangements with our planner, Lila McAllister-Thomas.It was definitely an easy choice to make to have the wedding at Winterborne. It was at home, in Ragston, and Winterborne was a gorgeous venue.And private.Needless to say the wedding had stirred up a bit of a media frenzy. Michelle Drake, my manager, had been fielding calls left and right from magazines who wanted to photograph the wedding exclusively. That honor had been given to Roman Knight. He was a renowned photographer who was amazing at his job and a cousin of the Noble siblings. The fact that he was even available to chronicle our wedding was unbelievable.Having Michelle as a manager and being friends with the Nobles � some of which also worked with Michelle � definitely had its perks.“I can’t believe I’m getting married tomorrow,� I sighed, looking at all of the gifts I’d been given. “Tomorrow is going to be...absolutely perfect.�
“Let me help you with that tie, son.”I let my hands fall to my side as my father came and took over.“How are you feeling?� he asked.“Ready,� I sighed.“You definitely are now,� my dad said, taking a step back to look at me.We looked towards the door when Paul, Rocki’s brother and my best friend, as well as best man, walked in.“How is she?� I asked.“A bit stunned from your gifts,� Paul chuckled. “The tickets to be exact.”I wish I could have seen her face when she saw the tickets for the surprise honeymoon trip I’d booked for us. I’d been working with Michelle to get Roxanne’s schedule completely cleared. We’d pulled it off and my bride-to-be and I would be spending two whole weeks on the beaches of The Maldives.“She also sent me back with your gift,� Paul said, handing me a small box.I took the box, opened it and smiled at the onyx and platinum cufflinks that had our wedding date engraved in them.“These are great,� I said, taking them out of the box. I’d just finished fastening them onto my sleeve cuffs when there was a knock on the door and the wedding planner peeked her head in.“Hey guys!� Lila said, a bright smile on her face. “It’s time.”We filed out of the room and made our way outside to the limo waiting to take us to the building where the ceremony was being held.I smiled as we drove past the carriage house, where Rocki and her bridal party were getting ready, thinking that it wouldn’t be too much longer before I finally got to see her again.After the quick drive, we all climbed out of the limo, went inside and took our places at the altar.A few minutes after we were settled, the doors opened and the bridesmaids made their way down the aisle.The building was surrounded with floor to ceiling windows, which gave me the perfect view as a horse-drawn carriage delivered my bride to the building. Once it arrived, my anticipation began to grow even more. I was eager to see her and, thankfully, I didn’t have to wait for too much longer.The minister signaled for the congregation to stand and The Wedding March began to play, as the doors at the back of the venue swung open, revealing Roxanne on her father’s arm.She was stunning.Our eyes locked and she gave me the sweetest smile. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her as she made her way down the aisle.To me.The closer she got to me, the more my heart pounded. I was so overcome with emotion, watching this woman who I’d love for so long make her way down the aisle to become my wife.They finally made it to the altar and Frank placed Roxanne’s hand in mine and gave me a gentle pat on my shoulder before taking a step back.I squeezed Rocki’s hand and when she looked up at me, I had to swallow the lump in my throat, seeing those big, brown eyes glittering with love for me.“You are so beautiful,� I whispered to her.“So are you,� she said, reaching up to touch my cheek, catching a tear that managed to break free.I wrapped my hand around hers and planted a kiss on her wrist and then looked into her eyes again.Unable to resist, I leaned down and pressed a kiss on her lips. She’d just began to sink against my body when the minister cleared her throat.“We haven’t quite reached that portion of the ceremony,� she said, smiling at us.“Sorry, Pastor,� I sheepishly replied, taking a step away from Rocki, but never letting go of her hand.The minister nodded her understanding and then began the ceremony. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Seth Gardiner and Roxanne Malone in holy matrimony...”I tried to take in every moment � the reciting of our vows, the exchanging of the rings � but it still seemed to go by so quickly.“By the power vested in me by the state of Michigan, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Seth, you may now kiss your bride,� the minister said, causing everyone to laugh. Their laughs morphed into clapping, whistling and cheering as I pulled Roxanne into my arms, cupped the back of her neck and finished what I’d started at the beginning of the ceremony. I kissed Rocki for the first time as my wife.And damn, that shit was one of the most fucking amazing feelings in the world.I finally, reluctantly, pulled away and the minister addressed the crowd again.“Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner!”We made our way back down the aisle and the wedding party followed us out. The rest of the guests made their way to the reception area while Roman took some photos of the wedding party together.Once that was done, we headed over to the reception area, where the DJ announced us to our guests.We entered hand in hand to a raucous applause and headed straight to the dance floor, where I pulled Rocki into my arms for our first dance.“Hello, Mrs. Gardiner,� I murmured into her ear, tightening my arms around her waist.“We did it!� Rocki gushed.“Yes, we did.� I palmed her neck and leaned down to kiss her, earning another round of applause.We’d just finished our dance when I noticed a commotion right outside the reception hall.“What’s going on?� Roxanne asked, looking over her shoulder.“I don’t know,� I said, taking her hand in mine.We walked into the hallway and found Wes carrying Charli in his arms.“Oh my god, Charli,� Rocki cried. “What’s wrong?”“Her water broke,� Wes said. “We’re on our way to the hospital.”“We’re coming with you,� Roxanne said immediately, as Emerson and Ro joined us.“No!� Charli grunted. “Today...is your day...stay.”“Char–”“Rocki! Stay.”Roxanne took a step forward and brushed Charli’s hair off her forehead and pressed a kiss there.“I love you, diva.”“I love you too,� Charli replied, before Wes carried her out to the car.Once the excitement of died down, somewhat, we got back on track with the reception. About thirty minutes went by before I leaned over and whispered in Rocki’s ear.“You ready to go to the hospital?”“Yes! Thank you,� she said, standing and gathering her wedding dress up. “Em. Let’s go.”Emerson and Roosevelt followed us out and we all got into the limo and rode to the hospital.When we arrived, we joined the rest of her family in the waiting room.“I hope the baby is okay,� Rocki said, as she absently paced around. “She’s six weeks early.”“Hey,� I said, taking her hand in mine to stop her from pacing. “Everything is going to be fine.”She smiled at me and nodded. “You’re right, that’s a REC Shop Diva baby. She’s a fighter.”“It’s time to count down to the new year,� the announcer on the television said.We turned our attention to the TV and watched as the ball began to drop while the crowd counted from ten to one. When the clock struck midnight, I pulled Roxanne into my arms and gave a long kiss.“Happy New Year, baby.”“Happy New Year,� she responded, before kissing me again.“She’s here!”We broke off our kiss and turned to find Wes being surrounded by his family.“Celeste Elaine, born at 12:01 a.m.,� Wes said, his face beaming with pride.“How are they?� Emerson asked.“Both mother and baby are doing well. They plan on keeping Celeste in NICU, but only for a day or two for observation.”“Congratulations, man,� I said, clasping his hand in mine and pulling him into a brotherly hug.“Thanks,� he said. “I gotta get back in there.”“Send her our love!� Roxanne called out, as Wes headed back to join Charli.
****
It was nearly two in the morning when we arrived back to the carriage house at Winterborne. We were spending a few nights there before our flight to The Maldives.“Wasn’t baby Celeste the most precious thing?� Roxanne sighed, plopping down on the bed, causing the skirt of her dress to fly up around her like a beautiful cloud.“Yeah, she was,� I replied, remembering how I felt watching Roxanne hold that baby.
It made me eager to see her holding our own baby.“I just wish I’d thought to grab my flats before we took off to the hospital. My feet are killing me.”I squatted down in front of her, reached under her skirt, and pulled her heels off, massaging her feet.My ministrations caused Rocki to let out a low, appreciative moan.“That feels amazing.”“I am to please,� I said, as my hands moved further up her leg, until I reached her thigh. I leaned forward, and planted kisses against her soft skin, loving the way she squirmed beneath my touch. I’d just reached the edge of her panties when she stopped me.“Hold that thought,� she said, as she stood in front of me.The scent of her arousal had my dick throbbing.“Not sure how long I can hold on, gorgeous.”She sauntered over to the bathroom and when she reached the door, she stopped and looked over her shoulder at me. “It’ll be worth the wait. I promise.”After she closed the bathroom door, I shrugged out of my suit jacket, took off my tie, and undid the top button of my shirt. I smiled at my cufflinks as I unfastened them and placed them on the dresser.I sat on the bed and fell back, letting my eyes shut and I replayed everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours.Roxanne and I were married.It still felt surreal.I never imagined that when I agreed to her little hare-brained scheme of pretending we were a couple when we came home for a visit that we’d become a real couple, let alone get married.But I wouldn’t change a thing.“You’re not falling asleep on me, are you?”At the sound of Rocki’s voice, my eyes slid open and I sat up on my elbows. I damn near swallowed my tongue when I saw her standing there in a sheer, white negligee that left absolutely nothing to the imagination.“Absolutely not,� I said, sitting up further.“I know it’s late,� she said, slowly walking towards me. “And so much has happened. If you’re tired–”I didn’t let her finish her words before I snatch her into my arms. My hands roamed every inch her, loving the feel of the fabric against her body. I pulled her on top of me, her legs straddling my waist and I drew the straps down her arms, kissing her neck, her shoulders, her collarbone and finally her breasts.“Seth...� she breathed, as I lightly bit her nipple.I changed our positions so I was on top of her on the bed, and slid down her body, until my face was buried between her legs. Her pussy glistened and I didn’t waste any time diving in to taste her. I ran my tongue between her folds before pulling her clit between my lips.One second she was pushing me away, the next she was nearly suffocating me by pulling her even closer to her.When I felt her legs begin to tremble, I pulled away and stood. I quickly undressed and joined her in the bed.“I want to be inside of you the first time you come as my wife,� I growled.She parted her legs wider and as I slid in, we both let out a satisfied groan.I hooked one of her legs over my shoulder as I moved in and out of her, loving the way her walls gripped my dick.I felt her nails dig into my back as my pace began to speed up. Her whimpers grew louder and louder, until they morphed into screams as she climaxed.I was right there with her as my seed spilled inside of her. It was the second time we’d gone without a condom in a matter of days. We were usually extremely careful about that sort of thing, but when I’d taken her at the club the other night, I was so damn eager to be inside of her, protection hadn’t even crossed my mind. The feeling of skin to skin had been so amazing that I couldn’t imagine any kind of barrier being between us ever again.We’d discussed kids, and both wanted them. The thought that we may have created our child already, set something off in me that filled me with warmth.I finally pulled out of her and went to the bathroom to grab a warm towel. After I cleaned her off and got rid of the towel, I joined her back in the bed.She burrowed into my side and threw one of her legs over me, and then wrapped an arm around my waist and laid her head on my chest.I pressed a kiss to the top of her head and let out a content sigh.“I love you, Mrs. Gardiner,� I said, pulling her even tighter.“And I love you,� she murmured, her voice heavy with sleep. “I can’t wait for our honeymoon. I still can’t believe we’re spending two weeks in The Maldives.”“I can’t wait either,� I said. “But you know what else I can’t wait for?”“What?� she yawned.“To spend the rest of my life with you as my wife...�
“And I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you as my husband,� she responded right before we both drifted off to sleep.
The End...
Psssst....In case you didn’t already know, there are two more New Year’s short. Check out how Emerson and Charli’s New Years went over at Nicole Fall’s and Bailey West’s sites by clicking on the images below!
Check it out below!
A Few Months Ago...I took a sip of my champagne and looked over at Seth, who seemed nervous. That was completely out of character for him.Nothing made Seth nervous. Ever.So naturally his nervousness was starting to make me nervous.We were at the wrap party for the movie I’d just finished filming in Vancouver with Isaiah Noble. It had gone great, and I was positive that we had a hit on our hands.I reached over and placed a hand on Seth's leg.Leaning over to him, I asked, “Is everything okay?”He turned and looked at me. “Huh? Yeah. Of course. How are you? Do you want or need anything?� he asked.“I want to get out of here,� I said, discreetly sliding my hand further up his thigh.We’d been at the party for about an hour longer than I’d originally wanted to be. But I wanted to make sure I made my rounds: congratulating fellow cast and crew members, schmoozing with investors...all that jazz.Seth looked down at my hand, pulled his phone out of his pocket and after glancing at it, nodded.After going around one final time to say goodbye to everyone, Seth guided us out of the club. The drive back to the back to the apartment complex we were staying in was tense and quiet.It was driving me up the fucking wall.By the time we were on the elevator and Seth had used the keycard to take us up to the condo we were staying in, I’d had enough.“Are you breaking up with me?� I blurted out.Seth turned and looked at me, eyes wide.“What?� he asked, shaking his head. “What the hell would make you think–”“Seth. I know something is wrong. You don’t think I can’t tell when something is bothering you? We may have only been dating for a year, but I’ve known you for nearly my entire life.”“Roxanne–� Seth started, but I cut him off.“Whatever is going on, I can handle it. Just tell me.”Before he could respond, the elevator pinged and the doors slid open. I turned around and gasped in complete shock, as I stepped into the apartment. Looking around in awe, my eyes filled with tears as I followed a path of flameless candles and rose petals. I ended up standing in the center of roses strewn on the balcony in shape of a heart. I turned and found Seth slowly coming towards me, a warm smile on his lips.“Seth,� I whispered, looking around again. “What is all this?”“This is...the culmination of being in love with you for...damn near most of my life,� he quietly replied, as he wiped away a stray tear with the pad of his thumb. “Being with you over the last year has only confirmed what I’ve known for a long time.”“And what is that?� I asked.“We’re soulmates, Rocki,� he said, slowly dropping down to one knee. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you...as your husband.”My hand flew to my mouth as he reached into his pocket, pulled out a velvet box and opened it, revealing a gorgeous diamond ring.“Roxanne Malone, will you marry me?”“Yes!� I said, nodding. “Of course, I’ll marry you.”He pulled the ring out of the box and slid it onto my finger, before standing and pulling me into his arms, plying my lips with a long kiss.When he finally pulled away, I looked down at the ring again, excited.“We’re engaged,� I squealed, hopping up and down. “I can’t wait to tell Emerson and Charli...�
****
Now...
I lifted my arms over my head, shaking my hips as I made my way onto the dance floor with Emerson and Charli on my heels. We were on the second stop of my bachelorette party extravaganza.Emerson and Charli � my maid and matron of honor, respectively � had gone all out for my ‘last hoorah�. We’d spent the afternoon at the spa, which included everything from facials and massages to waxing and v-steaming (something Charli’s ass had talked us into).Once we’d been fully pampered, we loaded a party bus that would take us all over the city. Our first stop had been to a pole dancing studio where we’d been scheduled for lessons. Both Charli and I had been shocked as hell when both our mothers and grandmothers had sauntered into the studio, proud grins on their faces.We had a bridal brunch planned with them tomorrow � the day before the wedding � thinking that would throw them off of our scent as far as our more...rowdy plans were concerned. But somehow, they’d figured them out and crashed the pole dancing party.And shut it down as well if Charli’s grandma Honey’s dance moves were any indication.Those moves would be seared into my brain for a long time. Especially Honey droppin� it like it was hot with a dick headband on her head.Thankfully, all of that getting ‘turnt up', as Honey had put it, tuckered the older ladies out and they didn’t join us on the second leg of our bachelorette party tour.So it was just me, Emerson, Charli and the rest of the ladies who we’d invited to join us getting down on the dance floor.In need of a drink, I made my way back to the area that had been roped off just for us and picked up one of the phallic-shaped water bottles (the things that could be found on the internet) and took a long sip.“If you’re looking for the real thing, I will happily obliged,� I heard a deep voice murmured into my ear.I grinned and turned around to find a set of dark eyes staring into mine.“Hello, gorgeous. What are you doing New Year’s Eve?”“Oh, you know...just getting married,� I said, before I slid my hand around his neck and pulled him down for a long kiss. When I finally pulled away, I shook my head. “What are you doing here?”Seth grinned down at me.“Little birdie may have mentioned that you ladies would be stopping by here tonight,� he said as he joined me on the sofa. His eyes went to my head. “That’s...interesting.”I quickly snatched the dick headband off of my head and tossed it onto the table.He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and I snuggled into his side.“Hi,� Seth said, gazing down into my eyes.“Hi,� I replied. “How’s your bachelor party going?”“Even better now.”I smiled as I looked out onto the dance floor and noticed that both Roosevelt and Wesley had made their presence known to Emerson and Charli.A new song had come on and we watched as Ro and Em began to dance as well as Wes and Charli.“Pregnancy looks so good on her,� I murmured, watching the way Wes protectively kept his hands on Charli’s large belly as they danced.“It’ll look good on you someday too.”I brought my focus back to Seth and his words.“That’s...that’s something we haven’t really discussed,� I said, quietly. Now probably wasn’t really the time or place to be having the discussion, but here we were.“No,� Seth said. “We haven’t. How do you feel about it? Do you want kids?”I smiled as I palmed his cheek. I knew Seth would be a great father from the way he was with my niece, Katie, and my nephew, PJ. I still couldn’t get the image of him holding baby Paul out of my mind, imagining that he’d look the same way with our own baby in his arms.“I most definitely want to have your babies, Seth Gardiner.”Seth kissed the palm of my hand, and then interlocked my fingers with his.“Come on,� he said, as he stood and pulled me up with him. “I wanna dance with my future bride.”We made our way onto the dance floor and I melded against Seth when he pulled my body against his. His hands moved down from my waist to my ass and I could feel his erection pressed against my stomach as we continued to sway to the music.I ground my hips harder against his and I felt his chest rumble as he chuckled.“You’re trying to start some shit you can’t finish right now, Roxanne,� he quietly growled into my ear.I leaned back so I could look up into his eyes.“Who says I can’t finish it right now?� I teased.One of Seth’s eyebrows raised in question.“We can’t exactly leave,� he said, as he looked around.“You’re right,� I sighed, with a pout. “Guess, we’ll just have to wait until the honeymoon.”“Maybe not,� he said, a wicked grin spreading across his face. He leaned down, whispered into my ear and I gasped at his words. I pulled away to look over my shoulder and when I turned to face Seth again, he was gone.I looked around trying to find him, but he’d disappeared into the crowd.“Hey!”I turned to find Emerson coming up to me. She shoved a glass of champagne into my hands.“Hey,� I said, smiling at Em. “You’ve been getting down with your boo.”“As have you,� Emerson giggled, as she took a sip of her own drink.I finished my drink in one long gulp.I smiled when Roosevelt came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck.“Hey, Rocki,� he said to me.“Hey, Ro.”“I know this is your night and all, but I hope you don’t mind me stealing your maid of honor for one last dance?”“Of course not,� I said, as I put my empty glass down. Ro took Em by the hand and led her further back onto the dance floor and I took the opportunity to make my discreet escape.I made it to the bathroom and knocked the way Seth had instructed me to. After a few seconds passed, I heard the door unlock and I quickly slipped into the bathroom, re-locking the door once I was inside.I looked up to find Seth’s eyes on me, dark with desire. He wasted no time as he pressed me against the bathroom door, shoved his hands into my hair and captured my mouth in a drugging kiss. He hoisted me up into his arms and I wrapped my legs around him, causing my dress to bunch up around my waist.Seth carried me to the other side of the bathroom and sat me down on the counter next to the sink. I shivered when my skin made contact with the cold granite.I pulled away and my hands went to the belt buckle of his pants. I made quick work of undoing the belt, followed by the button and zipper. My mouth watered as I slid my hand past the waistband of his underwear and wrapped my hand around his hard dick, my thumb gliding over the tip.“Shit, Rocki,� he groaned as I continued stroking him.He stepped back slightly, causing me to release my grip on his member and began to slide his hands up my thighs until he reached my thong. I lifted my hips as he pulled my panties off and then spread my legs wide when he closed the distance between us. He hooked his hands around the backs of my knees and dragged me to the edge of the counter. His mouth covered mine in an open-mouth kiss, as he slammed into me, swallowing my cries of pleasure.I braced my hands on his shoulders as he fucked me on that bathroom counter, meeting every one of his strokes with my own.He tore his lips from mine, yanked the top of my dress down and began to ravish my breasts. My back arched, and he sucked even harder onto my breast.“Seth!� I cried out.“I can’t wait to marry you the day after tomorrow,� he said, before licking my neck. “You’ll finally be mine. Forever.”“Seth...I...I’m gonna...”“Go ahead and come for me, beautiful,� he ordered.And I did. My body came undone around him, and a minute later I felt him coming too.I don’t know how long we stayed in that position � Seth inside of me, his arms tightly wrapped around my waist and our clothes completely disheveled � but I didn’t really give a damn.I needed this. Needed him.I’d been having...not cold feet exactly, just concerns. I’d been worried that once we were married, things between us would change. I’d voiced my concerns to Charli and Emerson and Charli had given me some sound advice, and while it definitely did put my mind at ease quite a bit, this spontaneous moment with Seth had helped even more.“You okay?”I opened my eyes to find Seth staring at me.“Never better,� I said, leaning forward to kiss his lips.“I’d better get you back out there before the bridal party starts to worry.”“Yeah, we’re supposed to be heading back to the hotel soon,� I said as Seth finally pulled out of me.We got cleaned up and fixed our clothes and I looked around for my thong.“Looking for these?� Seth asked, with a grin on his face.“There they are,� I reached out to grab them and Seth pulled them out of my reach.“I think I’ll keep these,� he said. “Considering I won’t see you for over twenty-four hours. I’ll need something to...help me cope.”“Uh-huh. You’re something else, you know that?”“Which is why you love me,� he said as he shoved my underwear into his pocket. He took a step towards me, pulled me into his arms and gave me one last kiss. “You go out first. Okay?”“Okay. I’ll see you down the aisle.”Seth grinned at me. “I can’t wait. I love you.”“And I love you.”Seth unlocked the door, and I quickly left the bathroom. I was heading for the tables when I heard my name.“There you are!� Emerson said. “Everyone is loading up on the party bus. We gotta get Charli back to the hotel.”“Is she okay?� I said, immediately concerned.“She’s fine. Just tired,� Emerson assured me. Her eyes swept over me and narrowed before widening with realization. “Oh...you nasty, girl!”“Shut up,� I laughed.“Hey, I ain’t mad at ya,� she said, wrapping an arm around my shoulder as we left the club. “Not one bit, sis. Get your pre-wedding freak on!�
****
“You look like you a lil hungover, baby,� Nana Jacobs said, as I sat down at the table for brunch with Emerson, Charli and Charli’s mother and grandmother.“Serves her right for trying to ditch us yesterday,� my mother grumbled with a satisfied grin on her face. “Thinking this little brunch would placate us and be our ‘fun� outing, tuh...”“Okay, mom. We get it,� I said, squinting. “Y’all still like to party too. We’re sorry.”“I guess you’re forgiven. So you can get your gifts now.”“My gifts?� I said, excitedly.“Yes,� Nana Jacobs said.My mom handed me a gift first.“Here’s your something old.”I opened the small velvet box and found a small locket.“Mom, it’s beautiful,� I said, picking it up and opening it. My eyes filled with tears when I saw a picture of my grandfather, Nana Jacobs� husband, inside.“I wore it on my wedding day,� she said.“I wish he could be here,� I said, looking from my mother to my grandmother.“He will be,� my mother assured.“I’m next,� Nana Jacobs said, handing me a gift bag. I instantly recognized it as a Scarlette’s Closet bag by its signature different shades of purple. I reached into the bag and pulled out a sexy piece of lingerie.“Your something new,� Nana Jacobs said with a wink.“Mom!� my mother gasped.“Mary, after what you did on that pole last night, do not sit there acting scandalized,� she said to my mother and then turned back to me. “I expect you to get to work right away on making me some more great-grands.”“I’ll do my best,� I said, laughing as I placed the outfit back into the bag.“Me next, me next!� Charli said, handing me another small box.I opened the box, revealing a jeweled comb.“Charli! This is the comb you wore on your wedding day.”“Figured you could borrow it for tomorrow.”“Thank you,� I said, leaning over to hug her.“And finally,� Emerson said, handing me a small bag. “Your something blue.”I reached into the bag and found a lacy blue garter.“I know it doesn’t exactly match the color scheme of the wedding, but–”“It’s perfect,� I said, shaking my head and wrapping my arms around Emerson. “It’s all perfect. Thank you, guys. You’ve made this all so great.”And they had.With the wedding being held on the Winterborne estate, Charli, along with her assistant Tracey, had taken care of most of the wedding arrangements with our planner, Lila McAllister-Thomas.It was definitely an easy choice to make to have the wedding at Winterborne. It was at home, in Ragston, and Winterborne was a gorgeous venue.And private.Needless to say the wedding had stirred up a bit of a media frenzy. Michelle Drake, my manager, had been fielding calls left and right from magazines who wanted to photograph the wedding exclusively. That honor had been given to Roman Knight. He was a renowned photographer who was amazing at his job and a cousin of the Noble siblings. The fact that he was even available to chronicle our wedding was unbelievable.Having Michelle as a manager and being friends with the Nobles � some of which also worked with Michelle � definitely had its perks.“I can’t believe I’m getting married tomorrow,� I sighed, looking at all of the gifts I’d been given. “Tomorrow is going to be...absolutely perfect.�
“Let me help you with that tie, son.”I let my hands fall to my side as my father came and took over.“How are you feeling?� he asked.“Ready,� I sighed.“You definitely are now,� my dad said, taking a step back to look at me.We looked towards the door when Paul, Rocki’s brother and my best friend, as well as best man, walked in.“How is she?� I asked.“A bit stunned from your gifts,� Paul chuckled. “The tickets to be exact.”I wish I could have seen her face when she saw the tickets for the surprise honeymoon trip I’d booked for us. I’d been working with Michelle to get Roxanne’s schedule completely cleared. We’d pulled it off and my bride-to-be and I would be spending two whole weeks on the beaches of The Maldives.“She also sent me back with your gift,� Paul said, handing me a small box.I took the box, opened it and smiled at the onyx and platinum cufflinks that had our wedding date engraved in them.“These are great,� I said, taking them out of the box. I’d just finished fastening them onto my sleeve cuffs when there was a knock on the door and the wedding planner peeked her head in.“Hey guys!� Lila said, a bright smile on her face. “It’s time.”We filed out of the room and made our way outside to the limo waiting to take us to the building where the ceremony was being held.I smiled as we drove past the carriage house, where Rocki and her bridal party were getting ready, thinking that it wouldn’t be too much longer before I finally got to see her again.After the quick drive, we all climbed out of the limo, went inside and took our places at the altar.A few minutes after we were settled, the doors opened and the bridesmaids made their way down the aisle.The building was surrounded with floor to ceiling windows, which gave me the perfect view as a horse-drawn carriage delivered my bride to the building. Once it arrived, my anticipation began to grow even more. I was eager to see her and, thankfully, I didn’t have to wait for too much longer.The minister signaled for the congregation to stand and The Wedding March began to play, as the doors at the back of the venue swung open, revealing Roxanne on her father’s arm.She was stunning.Our eyes locked and she gave me the sweetest smile. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her as she made her way down the aisle.To me.The closer she got to me, the more my heart pounded. I was so overcome with emotion, watching this woman who I’d love for so long make her way down the aisle to become my wife.They finally made it to the altar and Frank placed Roxanne’s hand in mine and gave me a gentle pat on my shoulder before taking a step back.I squeezed Rocki’s hand and when she looked up at me, I had to swallow the lump in my throat, seeing those big, brown eyes glittering with love for me.“You are so beautiful,� I whispered to her.“So are you,� she said, reaching up to touch my cheek, catching a tear that managed to break free.I wrapped my hand around hers and planted a kiss on her wrist and then looked into her eyes again.Unable to resist, I leaned down and pressed a kiss on her lips. She’d just began to sink against my body when the minister cleared her throat.“We haven’t quite reached that portion of the ceremony,� she said, smiling at us.“Sorry, Pastor,� I sheepishly replied, taking a step away from Rocki, but never letting go of her hand.The minister nodded her understanding and then began the ceremony. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Seth Gardiner and Roxanne Malone in holy matrimony...”I tried to take in every moment � the reciting of our vows, the exchanging of the rings � but it still seemed to go by so quickly.“By the power vested in me by the state of Michigan, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Seth, you may now kiss your bride,� the minister said, causing everyone to laugh. Their laughs morphed into clapping, whistling and cheering as I pulled Roxanne into my arms, cupped the back of her neck and finished what I’d started at the beginning of the ceremony. I kissed Rocki for the first time as my wife.And damn, that shit was one of the most fucking amazing feelings in the world.I finally, reluctantly, pulled away and the minister addressed the crowd again.“Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner!”We made our way back down the aisle and the wedding party followed us out. The rest of the guests made their way to the reception area while Roman took some photos of the wedding party together.Once that was done, we headed over to the reception area, where the DJ announced us to our guests.We entered hand in hand to a raucous applause and headed straight to the dance floor, where I pulled Rocki into my arms for our first dance.“Hello, Mrs. Gardiner,� I murmured into her ear, tightening my arms around her waist.“We did it!� Rocki gushed.“Yes, we did.� I palmed her neck and leaned down to kiss her, earning another round of applause.We’d just finished our dance when I noticed a commotion right outside the reception hall.“What’s going on?� Roxanne asked, looking over her shoulder.“I don’t know,� I said, taking her hand in mine.We walked into the hallway and found Wes carrying Charli in his arms.“Oh my god, Charli,� Rocki cried. “What’s wrong?”“Her water broke,� Wes said. “We’re on our way to the hospital.”“We’re coming with you,� Roxanne said immediately, as Emerson and Ro joined us.“No!� Charli grunted. “Today...is your day...stay.”“Char–”“Rocki! Stay.”Roxanne took a step forward and brushed Charli’s hair off her forehead and pressed a kiss there.“I love you, diva.”“I love you too,� Charli replied, before Wes carried her out to the car.Once the excitement of died down, somewhat, we got back on track with the reception. About thirty minutes went by before I leaned over and whispered in Rocki’s ear.“You ready to go to the hospital?”“Yes! Thank you,� she said, standing and gathering her wedding dress up. “Em. Let’s go.”Emerson and Roosevelt followed us out and we all got into the limo and rode to the hospital.When we arrived, we joined the rest of her family in the waiting room.“I hope the baby is okay,� Rocki said, as she absently paced around. “She’s six weeks early.”“Hey,� I said, taking her hand in mine to stop her from pacing. “Everything is going to be fine.”She smiled at me and nodded. “You’re right, that’s a REC Shop Diva baby. She’s a fighter.”“It’s time to count down to the new year,� the announcer on the television said.We turned our attention to the TV and watched as the ball began to drop while the crowd counted from ten to one. When the clock struck midnight, I pulled Roxanne into my arms and gave a long kiss.“Happy New Year, baby.”“Happy New Year,� she responded, before kissing me again.“She’s here!”We broke off our kiss and turned to find Wes being surrounded by his family.“Celeste Elaine, born at 12:01 a.m.,� Wes said, his face beaming with pride.“How are they?� Emerson asked.“Both mother and baby are doing well. They plan on keeping Celeste in NICU, but only for a day or two for observation.”“Congratulations, man,� I said, clasping his hand in mine and pulling him into a brotherly hug.“Thanks,� he said. “I gotta get back in there.”“Send her our love!� Roxanne called out, as Wes headed back to join Charli.
****
It was nearly two in the morning when we arrived back to the carriage house at Winterborne. We were spending a few nights there before our flight to The Maldives.“Wasn’t baby Celeste the most precious thing?� Roxanne sighed, plopping down on the bed, causing the skirt of her dress to fly up around her like a beautiful cloud.“Yeah, she was,� I replied, remembering how I felt watching Roxanne hold that baby.
It made me eager to see her holding our own baby.“I just wish I’d thought to grab my flats before we took off to the hospital. My feet are killing me.”I squatted down in front of her, reached under her skirt, and pulled her heels off, massaging her feet.My ministrations caused Rocki to let out a low, appreciative moan.“That feels amazing.”“I am to please,� I said, as my hands moved further up her leg, until I reached her thigh. I leaned forward, and planted kisses against her soft skin, loving the way she squirmed beneath my touch. I’d just reached the edge of her panties when she stopped me.“Hold that thought,� she said, as she stood in front of me.The scent of her arousal had my dick throbbing.“Not sure how long I can hold on, gorgeous.”She sauntered over to the bathroom and when she reached the door, she stopped and looked over her shoulder at me. “It’ll be worth the wait. I promise.”After she closed the bathroom door, I shrugged out of my suit jacket, took off my tie, and undid the top button of my shirt. I smiled at my cufflinks as I unfastened them and placed them on the dresser.I sat on the bed and fell back, letting my eyes shut and I replayed everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours.Roxanne and I were married.It still felt surreal.I never imagined that when I agreed to her little hare-brained scheme of pretending we were a couple when we came home for a visit that we’d become a real couple, let alone get married.But I wouldn’t change a thing.“You’re not falling asleep on me, are you?”At the sound of Rocki’s voice, my eyes slid open and I sat up on my elbows. I damn near swallowed my tongue when I saw her standing there in a sheer, white negligee that left absolutely nothing to the imagination.“Absolutely not,� I said, sitting up further.“I know it’s late,� she said, slowly walking towards me. “And so much has happened. If you’re tired–”I didn’t let her finish her words before I snatch her into my arms. My hands roamed every inch her, loving the feel of the fabric against her body. I pulled her on top of me, her legs straddling my waist and I drew the straps down her arms, kissing her neck, her shoulders, her collarbone and finally her breasts.“Seth...� she breathed, as I lightly bit her nipple.I changed our positions so I was on top of her on the bed, and slid down her body, until my face was buried between her legs. Her pussy glistened and I didn’t waste any time diving in to taste her. I ran my tongue between her folds before pulling her clit between my lips.One second she was pushing me away, the next she was nearly suffocating me by pulling her even closer to her.When I felt her legs begin to tremble, I pulled away and stood. I quickly undressed and joined her in the bed.“I want to be inside of you the first time you come as my wife,� I growled.She parted her legs wider and as I slid in, we both let out a satisfied groan.I hooked one of her legs over my shoulder as I moved in and out of her, loving the way her walls gripped my dick.I felt her nails dig into my back as my pace began to speed up. Her whimpers grew louder and louder, until they morphed into screams as she climaxed.I was right there with her as my seed spilled inside of her. It was the second time we’d gone without a condom in a matter of days. We were usually extremely careful about that sort of thing, but when I’d taken her at the club the other night, I was so damn eager to be inside of her, protection hadn’t even crossed my mind. The feeling of skin to skin had been so amazing that I couldn’t imagine any kind of barrier being between us ever again.We’d discussed kids, and both wanted them. The thought that we may have created our child already, set something off in me that filled me with warmth.I finally pulled out of her and went to the bathroom to grab a warm towel. After I cleaned her off and got rid of the towel, I joined her back in the bed.She burrowed into my side and threw one of her legs over me, and then wrapped an arm around my waist and laid her head on my chest.I pressed a kiss to the top of her head and let out a content sigh.“I love you, Mrs. Gardiner,� I said, pulling her even tighter.“And I love you,� she murmured, her voice heavy with sleep. “I can’t wait for our honeymoon. I still can’t believe we’re spending two weeks in The Maldives.”“I can’t wait either,� I said. “But you know what else I can’t wait for?”“What?� she yawned.“To spend the rest of my life with you as my wife...�
“And I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you as my husband,� she responded right before we both drifted off to sleep.
The End...
Psssst....In case you didn’t already know, there are two more New Year’s short. Check out how Emerson and Charli’s New Years went over at Nicole Fall’s and Bailey West’s sites by clicking on the images below!
September 15, 2018
A Sample, A Cover Reveal, A Release Date
Happy Sunday All!
I’ve got a #SampleSunday for you guys, as well as a cover reveal and a release date!
Check out the sample!
**unedited, subject to change**
Boomer shook hands with the each of the men he’d been meeting with.“We’re looking forwards to taking care of all of your security needs. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call.”He opened the door to the conference room and saw them to the lobby. He stopped at Candice’s desk and she smiled at him.“How was the meeting?� she asked.“Landed the contract,� he said, slapping Candice’s hand in a high five.“Awesome. Way to go.”He was just about to head to his office when Candice’s words stopped him. “DA Barnes is here to see you.”He turned back to look at Candice.“She’s here?”“Conference room one,� Candice said, tilting her head in the direction of the room, a grin on her face.When Trish heard him enter the conference room, she stood and turned to face him. His eyes landed on a large basket on the table. He inhaled deeply and a familiar scent hit his nostrils.“District Attorney Barnes,� he said slowly, as he closed the door behind him. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”She took a step forward, nervously wringing her hands. “It seems that I’m the one who owes you.”“Trish, you don’t–”“Oh, but I do. Because of you showing up when you did, you kept me from making a complete ass of myself. I just knew when I woke up this morning that my...outing last night would be plastered all over the news. But thanks to your perfect timing it wasn’t.”His eyes went back to the basket.“Is that what I think I smell?”She looked over her shoulder and then back up at him nodding. “You haven’t eaten yet have you? I figured I could bring lunch by as a thank you.”“I appreciate that, and no I haven’t eaten yet.”Even if he had, there was no way he was turning down her fried chicken.Her face broke out into a wide grin. “Great!”She turned back to the table and began taking containers out of the basket. He moved closer to her and said, “The only thing that would make this better is if you had some of your iced tea in there?”She reached into the basket again and pulled out a thermos and handed it to him. Heat coursed through his body when his fingers brushed hers in the exchange. He knew she felt it too. Noticed the way her body stiffened. But she kept busy, pulling plates, cutlery and cups out of the basked.They both filled their plates and Boomer looked up from his to find Trish watching him.“I see you still have a huge appetite.”“Sure do,� he said, winking at her. He made sure to hold her gaze long enough to let her know he wasn’t just referring to food.After they’d eaten in silence for a while, Boomer asked, “What do you remember from last night?”“Nothing really.� Her eyes grew wide and she asked, “I didn’t do anything stupid, did I?”He paused from taking a bite of his chicken leg and smiled at her.“If you would consider kissing me stupid, then–”Trish gasped and heat flooded her cheeks.“I didn’t!”“Oh, you did.� Teasingly, he added, “You laid one on me.”“I’m so sorry.”“For what?� he asked. “This is me, Bee. Not some stranger.”“Being in a drunk stupor isn’t how I imagined kissing you again,� she said under her breath.Her words drew his eyebrow up. “You’ve imagined kissing me again?”Her mouth fell open when she realized he’d heard her.She shook her head as she stammered, “No...I mean...I–”“I’ve imagined kissing you again too,� Boomer admitted.His eyes went to her neck as she swallowed. “You...you have?”“Ever since we danced together at the gala.”May as well put it out there.The tension in the room suddenly grew thicker as they continued staring at each other.Trish’s blush deepened and she broke eye contact. She looked down at her plate and pushed the potato salad around her plate and his eyes went to her mouth as her tongue swiped across her lips. He wondered if she’d done it on purpose. She knew how much it drove him crazy.Changing the subject, she asked, “I didn’t do or say anything else...unbecoming, did I?”He shook his head. “Nah.”He looked up at her when she said, “Good. Ugh, I was so stupid last night. I haven’t been that drunk since I passed the bar.”Boomer laughed remembering that time. “You were so messed up.”“Hey, I busted my ass for that test. Especially after failing the first time.”“I had no doubt that you’d pass the second time around.”“You always believed in me.”“Still do.”Their gazes held for another long moment before she looked away and went back to her food.“Woman, you still throw down in the kitchen.”“Of course I do.”“Be careful, or you might make me start thinking you like me again.”When she didn’t laugh, he looked up at her.Trish sighed. “I never stopped liking you, Dre. Things just...didn’t work out at the time.”He wasn’t sure how to respond, so he just nodded and turned his attention back to his food.They finished lunch and he helped her pack the basket up before walking her to the elevator.
“DA Barnes,� he said. “Thank you for the wonderful lunch.”“And thank you for...you know.�
He nodded and watched as she got onto the elevator.“Have a good day.”“You too,� she said as the doors closed.He walked back into the office and as he passed Candice, he heard her say, “You two looked cozy.”“Did we?� he asked and then closed his office door before she tried to ask anymore questions.
Newly appointed District Attorney Trisha Barnes is determined to win the biggest case of her career and nothing is going to stop her...not even her life being in danger. When Boomer Thompson steps up to protect her, Trisha quickly realizes that the man who once had her heart, just might still have it.
Boomer never thought Trisha would ever be back in his life, but here she is and she needs him now more than ever. He’ll do everything in his power to keep her safe, but he realizes that he’s also in danger...of falling in love with her all over again.
I’ve got a #SampleSunday for you guys, as well as a cover reveal and a release date!
Check out the sample!
**unedited, subject to change**
Boomer shook hands with the each of the men he’d been meeting with.“We’re looking forwards to taking care of all of your security needs. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call.”He opened the door to the conference room and saw them to the lobby. He stopped at Candice’s desk and she smiled at him.“How was the meeting?� she asked.“Landed the contract,� he said, slapping Candice’s hand in a high five.“Awesome. Way to go.”He was just about to head to his office when Candice’s words stopped him. “DA Barnes is here to see you.”He turned back to look at Candice.“She’s here?”“Conference room one,� Candice said, tilting her head in the direction of the room, a grin on her face.When Trish heard him enter the conference room, she stood and turned to face him. His eyes landed on a large basket on the table. He inhaled deeply and a familiar scent hit his nostrils.“District Attorney Barnes,� he said slowly, as he closed the door behind him. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”She took a step forward, nervously wringing her hands. “It seems that I’m the one who owes you.”“Trish, you don’t–”“Oh, but I do. Because of you showing up when you did, you kept me from making a complete ass of myself. I just knew when I woke up this morning that my...outing last night would be plastered all over the news. But thanks to your perfect timing it wasn’t.”His eyes went back to the basket.“Is that what I think I smell?”She looked over her shoulder and then back up at him nodding. “You haven’t eaten yet have you? I figured I could bring lunch by as a thank you.”“I appreciate that, and no I haven’t eaten yet.”Even if he had, there was no way he was turning down her fried chicken.Her face broke out into a wide grin. “Great!”She turned back to the table and began taking containers out of the basket. He moved closer to her and said, “The only thing that would make this better is if you had some of your iced tea in there?”She reached into the basket again and pulled out a thermos and handed it to him. Heat coursed through his body when his fingers brushed hers in the exchange. He knew she felt it too. Noticed the way her body stiffened. But she kept busy, pulling plates, cutlery and cups out of the basked.They both filled their plates and Boomer looked up from his to find Trish watching him.“I see you still have a huge appetite.”“Sure do,� he said, winking at her. He made sure to hold her gaze long enough to let her know he wasn’t just referring to food.After they’d eaten in silence for a while, Boomer asked, “What do you remember from last night?”“Nothing really.� Her eyes grew wide and she asked, “I didn’t do anything stupid, did I?”He paused from taking a bite of his chicken leg and smiled at her.“If you would consider kissing me stupid, then–”Trish gasped and heat flooded her cheeks.“I didn’t!”“Oh, you did.� Teasingly, he added, “You laid one on me.”“I’m so sorry.”“For what?� he asked. “This is me, Bee. Not some stranger.”“Being in a drunk stupor isn’t how I imagined kissing you again,� she said under her breath.Her words drew his eyebrow up. “You’ve imagined kissing me again?”Her mouth fell open when she realized he’d heard her.She shook her head as she stammered, “No...I mean...I–”“I’ve imagined kissing you again too,� Boomer admitted.His eyes went to her neck as she swallowed. “You...you have?”“Ever since we danced together at the gala.”May as well put it out there.The tension in the room suddenly grew thicker as they continued staring at each other.Trish’s blush deepened and she broke eye contact. She looked down at her plate and pushed the potato salad around her plate and his eyes went to her mouth as her tongue swiped across her lips. He wondered if she’d done it on purpose. She knew how much it drove him crazy.Changing the subject, she asked, “I didn’t do or say anything else...unbecoming, did I?”He shook his head. “Nah.”He looked up at her when she said, “Good. Ugh, I was so stupid last night. I haven’t been that drunk since I passed the bar.”Boomer laughed remembering that time. “You were so messed up.”“Hey, I busted my ass for that test. Especially after failing the first time.”“I had no doubt that you’d pass the second time around.”“You always believed in me.”“Still do.”Their gazes held for another long moment before she looked away and went back to her food.“Woman, you still throw down in the kitchen.”“Of course I do.”“Be careful, or you might make me start thinking you like me again.”When she didn’t laugh, he looked up at her.Trish sighed. “I never stopped liking you, Dre. Things just...didn’t work out at the time.”He wasn’t sure how to respond, so he just nodded and turned his attention back to his food.They finished lunch and he helped her pack the basket up before walking her to the elevator.
“DA Barnes,� he said. “Thank you for the wonderful lunch.”“And thank you for...you know.�
He nodded and watched as she got onto the elevator.“Have a good day.”“You too,� she said as the doors closed.He walked back into the office and as he passed Candice, he heard her say, “You two looked cozy.”“Did we?� he asked and then closed his office door before she tried to ask anymore questions.
Newly appointed District Attorney Trisha Barnes is determined to win the biggest case of her career and nothing is going to stop her...not even her life being in danger. When Boomer Thompson steps up to protect her, Trisha quickly realizes that the man who once had her heart, just might still have it.
Boomer never thought Trisha would ever be back in his life, but here she is and she needs him now more than ever. He’ll do everything in his power to keep her safe, but he realizes that he’s also in danger...of falling in love with her all over again.
September 8, 2018
#SampleSunday: First Look at Book 3 in the McAllister Security Series!
Good morning, loves.
Been a long time since I shared a Sample Sunday. I’m currently working on book 3 of the McAllister Security series.
No release date yet, but it’s coming out this fall! Hope you all enjoy this first look.
**Unedited, subject to change**
Boomer Thompson adjusted the mask on his face as he strolled the outer perimeter of the ballroom where the Mayor’s Masquerade Gala was being held. Officially he was only there as a guest. Unofficially he, along with Silas Stone, were there on behalf of McAllister Security, as their branch of the business was the hired protection for the evening’s events.They had men scattered all throughout the room, blending in as if they were guests, but ready in case anything went down. Boomer didn’t foresee anything bad happening, but with so many prominent figures in one room, he wasn’t about to let his guard down.He was ready for anything.Well...almost anything, he thought to himself as he froze.It didn’t matter that she was wearing an intricate mask, he’d recognized her instantly as she entered the room, on the arm of a man who was wearing a tux that was obviously a rental.He took his time openly taking her in from head to toe. Her hair was up high, showing of her neck � one of his favorite body parts on her. She looked amazing in the cream, strapless gown that hugged her waist before flaring out all around her. Looking at her in that dress...he couldn’t help but imagine what it would have been like to see her walking down the aisle...towards him.“You good, man?� he heard Silas ask him.“Never better,� Boomer replied, watching her date hold her chair out for her.“Don’t do anything stupid, Boom,� Silas warned.Boomer gave Silas a smirk as he finished off the drink in his tumbler. Since he wasn’t technically on the clock tonight, he definitely wasn’t about to turn down a perfectly good glass of bourbon. He placed his glass on the tray of a passing waiter and weaved his way through the crowd.It had been years since Boomer had seen her in person, but dammit if that woman didn’t still make his heart skip a beat whenever he was in her presence. He probably should just leave her alone, especially since she wasn’t alone, but he couldn’t seem to stop his feet from making their way over to her table, where she’d just settled down into her seat.“District Attorney Barnes,� he said, and her head whipped around at the sound of his voice. He watched as those beautiful brown eyes of hers grew wide with shock as her gaze quickly sweeping over him.“Andre,� she nearly whispered.Not many people called him by his first name, but she’d always insisted on it. And it always sounded good rolling off her lips.“Been a long time, Trish,� he said.“It has,� she replied, her eyes still locked with his.The sound of the man sitting next to her clearing his throat finally made him look away.“Oh...umm...Andre, this is Dr. Connor Dickenson. Connor, this is Andre Thompson. My...”His eyebrow raised out how she intended on finishing that phrase.“Dear old friend,� she finally said.“Nice to meet you,� Connor said, holding his out out to Boomer. He took Connor’s hand and firmly gripped it.“Likewise,� he said. He released Connor’s hand and turned back to Trish. “I do hope you save a dance...for your ‘dear old friend�.”And then he turned and walked off.He made his way back to the bar and ordered another drink. He turned and found her eyes on him. She quickly looked away, trying to focus on whatever it was her date was talking about.He grinned as he picked up his drink, nodding his thanks to the bartender.Tonight was going to be more fun than he’d anticipated.
****
She’d felt his eyes on her all night.She’d be lying if she said she didn’t steal of few glances of her own. Why did he have to look so damn good, she wondered as she took another sip of her wine.Connor didn’t seem to notice any difference; of course he’d been spending most of the evening droning on about the surgery that had forced him to cancel their dinner plans several nights ago.He was a nice enough guy, but sometimes Connor seemed a little self-absorbed.She’d actually been glad when a phone called pulled him away and she’d taken the opportunity to go to the ladies room.Upon returning to the ballroom and realizing that Connor was still preoccupied on the phone, Trish decided to circulate and speak to a few familiar faces, including the mayor.“Congratulations, District Attorney Barnes.”“Thank you, Madam Mayor. As usual, you’re throwing a lovely event.”“Of course it’s the biggest benefit of the year for raising awareness, and funds, to help students who are looking to go to college.”“And we’re behind you one hundred percent. Not only has the DA’s office made a contribution, but I’ve personally made one myself.”“We appreciate that so much.”The mayor’s eyes lit up and the hairs on the back of Trish’s neck suddenly stood up.“Mr. Thompson!� the mayor exclaimed.“Madam Mayor,� Boomer said, gracing her with that charming smile of his. “Wonderful event.”“Thank you, Mr. Thompson,� the mayor responded. Was she blushing?! Trish refrained from rolling her eyes. The man was too charismatic for his own good.“I just wanted to see if I could steal DA Barnes away for a dance. But if I’m interrupting...”“Not at all!� the mayor exclaimed. “You two go on.”Trish turned and looked up at Boomer, who had his hand outstretched towards her.“May I have this dance?”Trish swallowed hard and then took a step forward, placing her hand in his.Heat shot through every cell in her body; and when he pulled her flush against her body and placed his hand dangerously low on her back, she couldn’t fight the tremor that raced down her spine.They danced for a few minutes in silence before he spoke.“‘A dear old friend�,� Boomer murmured into her ear. “That’s how you introduce me, love?”She should have known he wasn’t going to just let that slide.“Andre,� she sighed. “How else was I supposed to introduce you?”His eyes shot up to the ceiling in thought and she couldn’t help but study his face. The mask he was wearing did nothing to hide his strong jawline. She’d always been mesmerized by his eyes. And his lips.Lips that used to do wickedly wonderful things to her body.As if reading her mind, he looked down into her eyes before pressing his lip towards her ear and whispering, “You could have told him that I was the best lover you’d ever had.”Trish couldn’t stop the laugh the escaped her lips.“I see you’re still a smug son of a bitch.”“I’m only repeating words that came from your sexy ass mouth, sweetheart,� he said, a teasing grin on his lips. That was the second time he’d used a term of endearment on her. “I am curious as to whether or not someone new has taken up the mantle...”“That’s really none of your business,� she snapped. It wasn’t his comment that had irritated her so much, but the way her body was responding to the gentle way his fingers were circling her back did.“I suppose not,� he said, with a nonchalant shrug. Changing the subject, he looked at her again and asked, “Did you get my flowers?”“I did,� she said, nodding. “Thank you, Andre. They were beautiful.”“I’m proud of you, Trish. I hope you know that.”His words sent warmth through her body. He’d always been supportive of her dreams and goals. She licked her lips and she felt his hold tighten.“Don’t do that, Bee,� he growled.She drew in a sharp breath at the nickname she hadn’t heard in years. His honey bee is what he used to call her. Because even though she was tough as hell and her words could sting like an aggravated bee, she also had a sweet side, like honey.His honey.“Dre,� she sighed, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment before opening them again, only to find him staring at her heatedly.He opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, Trish heard, “Mind if I cut in?”She looked over her shoulder and saw Connor standing there.“Not at all,� Boomer said.She shouldn’t have been as disappointed as she was when Boomer released his arm from around her waist, and she hoped it didn’t show on her face.“Thank you for the dance, DA Barnes,� Boomer said, lifting her hand up to his mouth and placing a kiss there, never breaking eye contact.Before he released her hand, she felt him discreetly run his thumb over the bracelet she almost never took off, and he gave her a knowing grin.She watched as he disappeared into the crowd and nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt Connor’s hand on her shoulder.She plastered a smile on and moved into Connor’s arms, not feeling an ounce of spark like what she’d felt the moment she’d touched Boomer’s hand.
Been a long time since I shared a Sample Sunday. I’m currently working on book 3 of the McAllister Security series.
No release date yet, but it’s coming out this fall! Hope you all enjoy this first look.
**Unedited, subject to change**
Boomer Thompson adjusted the mask on his face as he strolled the outer perimeter of the ballroom where the Mayor’s Masquerade Gala was being held. Officially he was only there as a guest. Unofficially he, along with Silas Stone, were there on behalf of McAllister Security, as their branch of the business was the hired protection for the evening’s events.They had men scattered all throughout the room, blending in as if they were guests, but ready in case anything went down. Boomer didn’t foresee anything bad happening, but with so many prominent figures in one room, he wasn’t about to let his guard down.He was ready for anything.Well...almost anything, he thought to himself as he froze.It didn’t matter that she was wearing an intricate mask, he’d recognized her instantly as she entered the room, on the arm of a man who was wearing a tux that was obviously a rental.He took his time openly taking her in from head to toe. Her hair was up high, showing of her neck � one of his favorite body parts on her. She looked amazing in the cream, strapless gown that hugged her waist before flaring out all around her. Looking at her in that dress...he couldn’t help but imagine what it would have been like to see her walking down the aisle...towards him.“You good, man?� he heard Silas ask him.“Never better,� Boomer replied, watching her date hold her chair out for her.“Don’t do anything stupid, Boom,� Silas warned.Boomer gave Silas a smirk as he finished off the drink in his tumbler. Since he wasn’t technically on the clock tonight, he definitely wasn’t about to turn down a perfectly good glass of bourbon. He placed his glass on the tray of a passing waiter and weaved his way through the crowd.It had been years since Boomer had seen her in person, but dammit if that woman didn’t still make his heart skip a beat whenever he was in her presence. He probably should just leave her alone, especially since she wasn’t alone, but he couldn’t seem to stop his feet from making their way over to her table, where she’d just settled down into her seat.“District Attorney Barnes,� he said, and her head whipped around at the sound of his voice. He watched as those beautiful brown eyes of hers grew wide with shock as her gaze quickly sweeping over him.“Andre,� she nearly whispered.Not many people called him by his first name, but she’d always insisted on it. And it always sounded good rolling off her lips.“Been a long time, Trish,� he said.“It has,� she replied, her eyes still locked with his.The sound of the man sitting next to her clearing his throat finally made him look away.“Oh...umm...Andre, this is Dr. Connor Dickenson. Connor, this is Andre Thompson. My...”His eyebrow raised out how she intended on finishing that phrase.“Dear old friend,� she finally said.“Nice to meet you,� Connor said, holding his out out to Boomer. He took Connor’s hand and firmly gripped it.“Likewise,� he said. He released Connor’s hand and turned back to Trish. “I do hope you save a dance...for your ‘dear old friend�.”And then he turned and walked off.He made his way back to the bar and ordered another drink. He turned and found her eyes on him. She quickly looked away, trying to focus on whatever it was her date was talking about.He grinned as he picked up his drink, nodding his thanks to the bartender.Tonight was going to be more fun than he’d anticipated.
****
She’d felt his eyes on her all night.She’d be lying if she said she didn’t steal of few glances of her own. Why did he have to look so damn good, she wondered as she took another sip of her wine.Connor didn’t seem to notice any difference; of course he’d been spending most of the evening droning on about the surgery that had forced him to cancel their dinner plans several nights ago.He was a nice enough guy, but sometimes Connor seemed a little self-absorbed.She’d actually been glad when a phone called pulled him away and she’d taken the opportunity to go to the ladies room.Upon returning to the ballroom and realizing that Connor was still preoccupied on the phone, Trish decided to circulate and speak to a few familiar faces, including the mayor.“Congratulations, District Attorney Barnes.”“Thank you, Madam Mayor. As usual, you’re throwing a lovely event.”“Of course it’s the biggest benefit of the year for raising awareness, and funds, to help students who are looking to go to college.”“And we’re behind you one hundred percent. Not only has the DA’s office made a contribution, but I’ve personally made one myself.”“We appreciate that so much.”The mayor’s eyes lit up and the hairs on the back of Trish’s neck suddenly stood up.“Mr. Thompson!� the mayor exclaimed.“Madam Mayor,� Boomer said, gracing her with that charming smile of his. “Wonderful event.”“Thank you, Mr. Thompson,� the mayor responded. Was she blushing?! Trish refrained from rolling her eyes. The man was too charismatic for his own good.“I just wanted to see if I could steal DA Barnes away for a dance. But if I’m interrupting...”“Not at all!� the mayor exclaimed. “You two go on.”Trish turned and looked up at Boomer, who had his hand outstretched towards her.“May I have this dance?”Trish swallowed hard and then took a step forward, placing her hand in his.Heat shot through every cell in her body; and when he pulled her flush against her body and placed his hand dangerously low on her back, she couldn’t fight the tremor that raced down her spine.They danced for a few minutes in silence before he spoke.“‘A dear old friend�,� Boomer murmured into her ear. “That’s how you introduce me, love?”She should have known he wasn’t going to just let that slide.“Andre,� she sighed. “How else was I supposed to introduce you?”His eyes shot up to the ceiling in thought and she couldn’t help but study his face. The mask he was wearing did nothing to hide his strong jawline. She’d always been mesmerized by his eyes. And his lips.Lips that used to do wickedly wonderful things to her body.As if reading her mind, he looked down into her eyes before pressing his lip towards her ear and whispering, “You could have told him that I was the best lover you’d ever had.”Trish couldn’t stop the laugh the escaped her lips.“I see you’re still a smug son of a bitch.”“I’m only repeating words that came from your sexy ass mouth, sweetheart,� he said, a teasing grin on his lips. That was the second time he’d used a term of endearment on her. “I am curious as to whether or not someone new has taken up the mantle...”“That’s really none of your business,� she snapped. It wasn’t his comment that had irritated her so much, but the way her body was responding to the gentle way his fingers were circling her back did.“I suppose not,� he said, with a nonchalant shrug. Changing the subject, he looked at her again and asked, “Did you get my flowers?”“I did,� she said, nodding. “Thank you, Andre. They were beautiful.”“I’m proud of you, Trish. I hope you know that.”His words sent warmth through her body. He’d always been supportive of her dreams and goals. She licked her lips and she felt his hold tighten.“Don’t do that, Bee,� he growled.She drew in a sharp breath at the nickname she hadn’t heard in years. His honey bee is what he used to call her. Because even though she was tough as hell and her words could sting like an aggravated bee, she also had a sweet side, like honey.His honey.“Dre,� she sighed, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment before opening them again, only to find him staring at her heatedly.He opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, Trish heard, “Mind if I cut in?”She looked over her shoulder and saw Connor standing there.“Not at all,� Boomer said.She shouldn’t have been as disappointed as she was when Boomer released his arm from around her waist, and she hoped it didn’t show on her face.“Thank you for the dance, DA Barnes,� Boomer said, lifting her hand up to his mouth and placing a kiss there, never breaking eye contact.Before he released her hand, she felt him discreetly run his thumb over the bracelet she almost never took off, and he gave her a knowing grin.She watched as he disappeared into the crowd and nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt Connor’s hand on her shoulder.She plastered a smile on and moved into Connor’s arms, not feeling an ounce of spark like what she’d felt the moment she’d touched Boomer’s hand.
April 1, 2018
March 4, 2018
Preorder Extended/March Newsletter
Did you want to preorder your books for Girl, Have You Met...Dallas?
You’ve still got time!
The preorder deadline has been extended to Wednesday, March 7th. So run over to the preorder site and put your order in. The books featured in the picture above are what I will have on sale at the event, but you can order from my full catalog of books on the preorder site.
This month’s newsletter is out! Check your emails or check it out ! Make sure you answer this month’s for a chance at an amazon gift card.And if you’re not subscribed to the newsletter, fill out the form over to the right of the screen
You’ve still got time!
The preorder deadline has been extended to Wednesday, March 7th. So run over to the preorder site and put your order in. The books featured in the picture above are what I will have on sale at the event, but you can order from my full catalog of books on the preorder site.
This month’s newsletter is out! Check your emails or check it out ! Make sure you answer this month’s for a chance at an amazon gift card.And if you’re not subscribed to the newsletter, fill out the form over to the right of the screen
February 24, 2018
Preorder Your Books for GHYM Dallas!
We’re nearly a month away from Girl, Have You Met Dallas. If you’d like to preorder your books for the event, you can do so now. But hurry the last day to order is March 2nd.
Your books will be signed and ready for you at the event on April 7th!
